In the Name of the Father
by The Wandering Bard
Summary: Eleanor sets out on her own and encounters new friends and enemies on the surface. Her Father, Delta, went back to die in Rapture. Or did he? This is what I think happens after the neutral/redeem yourself ending of Bioshock 2.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bioshock.

This is based off of the neutral ending where she has hope of being redeemed.

* * *

**In the Name of the Father**

Prologue

* * *

Eleanor Lamb cried. She was sitting at the edge of the lifeboat - ironic that on a lifeboat there would be such death - with her legs over the edge and partly submersed into the ocean, she let loose a cascade of tears. Lying next to her in a large armored diving suit was her Father, known to some as Subject Delta. Also known as Johnny Topside. But to her, he was Daddy. He was Father. And he was dying.

To say she was devastated with what had happened and was currently happening would have been an understatement. It was difficult enough to go through losing him all those years ago, made to kill himself by Eleanor's own mother. Right in front of Eleanor, who as a little girl had been unable to do anything except watch and cry out. She shivered slightly as the memory replayed itself in her head. Sofia Lamb. Hard to believe that the crazy woman was her mother.

The young girl had let her drown as the lifeboat raced to the surface away from the terrible city of Rapture, and she had felt a grim satisfaction as she thrashed about and eventually stilled. The woman that had caused her and her Father so much pain was dead, and yet even in death she was still hurting her. The very memory of her and what she did pained Eleanor greatly, but she would learn to forget about it. At least she hoped she could.

She noticed that her Father was moving, and turned to him with eyes wide and watery. Her gaze was filled with sorrow as she looked at him.

He had propped himself up on an elbow, turned on his side so that he could face her, and he let loose one last groan as he reached out and gently touched her shoulder. And then, suddenly, he lurched forward and threw himself overboard into the depths of the ocean.

"FATHER!" she cried out in despair, a sudden urge to jump filled her but she suppressed it. It took every ounce of control not to go after him, to at least go to land with his body and to see him to a grave. A place where she could go and pay her respects when the times came, but he had chosen to return to Rapture. He had chosen his final resting place to be the city that had transformed him and that had now killed him twice.

What little control she had was relinquished as she pulled her feet up from the ocean and rolled onto her side into a fetal position. Her body was wracked with uncontrollable sobbing as she realized how alone she was and how final her Father's death was. And she stayed like that for quite a while, until eventually she stopped sobbing and all her tears had been spent. She felt numb. Completely numb. As if she would never be able to feel again. A great, gaping hole seemed to fill her chest.

Eventually, she realized that it was dark. A faint light glowed from inside the main cavity of the boat, emanating through the large glass windows. Up above her, the sight of the moon for the first time made her look at it in awe. It looked so beautiful, especially against the backdrop of a multitude of stars. Some of them she could name from seeing them in her books and pictures. The beauty and wonder of the sky allowed her to relax and she felt oddly at peace.

After having gone through much of the day in an almost comatose state of crying and shaking, she had all but spent her emotions. In the back of her mind she knew it was a temporary peace, but she welcomed it warmly. At that moment, she thought of nothing else but the beauty of the stars and how they twinkled.

-**ooo****o**-

Subject Delta had heaved himself with one last mighty effort into the welcoming arms of the ocean. He could sense that he was sinking, slowly, back to where he had just recently come from. Escaped from, even. He watched as the surface receded and pulled farther and farther away. The light coming from up there slowly giving way to the darkness that permeated the below. And so his life began to flash before him, at least parts of his life. He remembered very little before first waking up as a Big Daddy. But he definitely remembered seeing Eleanor for the first time and how cute and vulnerable she looked and how he had this overwhelming urge to protect her from harm.

How her playfulness and innocence had puzzled him at times, though he had gotten used to it. Her grisly task of going around collecting blood and ADAM from dead bodies. All the while keeping her safe from harm. Then that fateful incident on New Year's Eve when she was taken from him and he... died.

Then waking up again many years later to find Rapture in ruins and his daughter still at the hands of the blasted psychotic woman. How he wished he had been the one to end her. Then his mind flicked to the first Little Sister he had gotten his hands on. How she was similar to Eleanor and yet how he had harvested her without first thinking on the matter. After consuming that first Little Sister for all her ADAM, he had been revolted by his actions.

He realized how terrible a sight and act it was and vowed to never again do such a despicable act. How he wished he could take it back and do it right. How he wished Eleanor had not seen that. How he wished Eleanor had not consumed those Little Sisters at the end in order to save themselves. Those acts had changed her, of that she was terribly clear, but because of his actions after that first harvesting and especially up there in his final moments with her he had given her hope that she could redeem herself.

He lost sight of the surface after a while, and as he continued to sink he prayed to whatever gods existed up there, if they did exist, that they watch over his daughter.

Eleanor.

His heart wrenched at the thought of her, even as it began to slow in its beating. He did not know how long he drifted down to the depths, or whether or not the darkness that surrounded him was because he was slowly dying or from the darkness of the deeps, but he did not care. This was the end of the line. That much was true. Sure enough, his vision blurred even more and with one last mental struggle he pictured his daughter in his mind as he faded back to the darkness.

_Eleanor..._

* * *

**A/N: **Well, there's the start. Let's see where this goes, shall we?


	2. Chapter I

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bioshock.

This is based off of the neutral ending where she has hope of being redeemed.

* * *

**In the Name of the Father**

Chapter I

* * *

Well, at least the engines worked and the boat had power. That was a start.

Eleanor scrounged through the storage bins on the main compartment and down below, finding a few cans of food as well as some First Aid Kits and EVE hypos. A thorough search of one of the lockers down below actually yielded a small bottle of ADAM tucked away in a secret niche drilled into the back of the locker and hidden by a piece of duct tape.

She carefully placed it in a metal suitcase she had also found along with the five EVE hypos. She added whatever First Aid Kits she could fit into the suitcase and closed it up, leaving her with five First Aid Kits out to use if she needed them.

With that done, she focused her attention on what she would do and where she would go. She could not remember how far away everything was specifically, but she had a mental image of the world map on her head and a vague idea of where Rapture was - somewhere between Greenland and Iceland. Her education had not included which of those two island nations were friendliest, but she did note that Greenland was much larger and thus would provide a better place to roam around freely while also providing ample places to hide away if needed.

A thought struck her then, one that she had not considered before: what had happened to Jack Ryan? The man who had come to Rapture, killed Andrew Ryan and Frank Fontaine and a few other notables, and then left with a group of Little Sisters. He could potentially help Eleanor adjust to life on the surface, not to mention provide guidance. Her heart panged as she thought of Father. How she missed him. He would have known what to do, where to go. He would have provided direction and guidance.

But he was gone now, and Eleanor was all alone. And alone she had to make the decision herself.

"Now, if I were Jack Ryan... where would I go?" she pondered the question as she studied the mental image she had of the world map.

-**ooo****o**-

Dr. Brigid Tenenbaum gripped the pistol tightly in her hands, brushing aside stray strands of her graying brown hair as she hid behind the counter. She had returned to the Ticket Booth before long, having found it to be the safest place so far to keep the girls she had. She silently thanked Delta for clearing the worst of the rabble that had settled themselves in the Atlantic Express Depot.

He had not completely cleared the place, however, since four splicers wandered into the area in front of the ticket booth. Though it was entirely possible that they had just gotten there as well. She had thankfully seen them coming through her hacking of the security cameras in the area and had shut the ticket office down, but she chided herself in not seeing them arrive sooner. She had been busy trying to find anyone else in Rapture that could help her out, since it seemed Delta had left the city.

The girls were all hiding as well, a few of them clutching at Tenenbaum as she hid behind the counter, all of them fearful. Though she had shuttered the windows and thus they did not really need to hide behind the counter, she felt even safer doing so and no doubt the little girls felt the same way. She watched from the small monitor that she had hooked up to the security system, now on the floor, and waited.

Their voices echoed through the empty chamber outside and entered the ticket booth, albeit weakly as the sound passed through the glass windows and the metal shutters.

"I'm tellin ya, Fontaine Futuristics blew up! And I mean kabloom!" said one of the splicers.

There was a snort, "The whole place blew up? I find that hard to believe." A female voice.

"Well, I didn't say the whole thing, or least I didn't mean to. But a big chunk o' the place blew up, fell into the damn trench," replied the first.

"I seen it too," said a third splicer, "And I also seen a lifeboat float up to the surface. Last I heard, that little Lamb girl was on it."

"And what about the defiler?" asked the woman.

"I dunno. Heard he might be down in the trench an died from the blast, others say he was on the lifeboat. I think he died." The third splicer seemed certain of that.

"Good riddance," said the first.

They continued on talking about other meaningless stuff, their voices fading away before finally disappearing. After a few minutes of relative silence, for it was never truly silent in Rapture what with all the leaking and the hum of machinery or the groaning of pipes, Tenenbaum let out a heavy sigh. She hoped Delta was not dead. He had been a good man, though a part of her never truly forgave the fact that he had harvested the first Little Sister he had come across, she had seen how the act had changed him. He had saved all the rest afterwards, and for that she was at least grateful.

Some of the Little Sisters in the room were ones he had saved, and they looked to Tenenbaum with sad eyes and tears forming.

The doctor stood up, steadying herself on the counter as two Little Sisters clamped onto each of her legs and sobbed into the folds of her dress. She patted their heads and let out soothing sounds to try and calm them.

"Daddy... is gone?" asked one of the others who had stood in front of her, sniffling.

Tenenbaum did not have the heart to vocally acknowledge it, but she nodded ever so slightly. The girl's eyes welled up in tears as she too rushed forward and hugged one Tenenbaum's legs tightly. It would be a while before they were calm enough for her to be able to do other things. Her first priority, after all, was to tend to the Little Sisters.

-**ooo****o**-

Delta's body floated back over the city of Rapture, but the currents had pushed his body away from Fontaine Futuristics, and instead he had descended towards Pauper's Drop.

And so it was that Grace Holloway, who had recently yet again had her life turned upside down, was looking out the window of her apartment as she sat on her bed. She was thinking of what she was to do with her life when a seemingly familiar body drifted ever so slowly downwards. There was a sharp intake of breath as she recognized the figure, and her eyes teared up.

"You too, Tin Man?" she whispered. Thoughts of Eleanor erupted in her head and she hoped and prayed that the girl was alive. A part of her felt that Delta would not have allowed himself to be killed had she been in any danger, and she had heard that a lifeboat had escaped the labs of Fontaine Futuristics.

It was then that she noticed a figure swimming around. One that she knew all too well - a Big Sister. The light from her porthole a frightening red. It swam by the body of Delta, but then it stopped and swam back, beginning to circle it.

Grace had never seen a Big Sister be so interested in a dead body, but there it was. It seemed to study the body for a bit, before it grabbed the Big Daddy and pulled him off to who knew where. The old woman placed her palm on the thick window, watching as the two disappeared from view. She imagined the Big Sister might want to salvage some parts, and anger filled her that one would defile the body of the man who had spared her life and shown her the truth. And of course, shown her mercy.

For the time being, she had a new goal: retrieve Delta's body. Of all the bodies that littered this watery tomb, his was one that deserved a proper burial.

* * *

**A/N: **Things should start to get more interesting soon enough. :)


	3. Chapter II

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bioshock.

This is based off of the neutral ending where she has hope of being redeemed.

* * *

**In the Name of the Father**

Chapter II

* * *

Greenland it was then.

Eleanor felt certain that Jack Ryan had chosen the larger of the two island nations to head towards. It made the most sense. It was a close enough landmass that the journey would not be overly long, particularly in the treacherous North Atlantic. There was also the matter of having five little girls along with you that made any long-term journeys very difficult and much riskier. So proximity was key.

Then there was the matter of people, and again the fact that he had five little girls with him would have influenced his decision. He would want to stay unnoticed, especially since any strange man arriving with a group of little girls would have called up too many questions and suspicions. And that would have been dangerous.

No, he would have sought the greater expanse of Greenland with its smaller population. A perfect place to land his bathysphere and hide, away from suspicious or prying eyes. Of course, there was the problem of shelter and food, but with his plasmids and no doubt his smarts he was sure to find a way to survive in the wilderness of Greenland.

There was a possibility that he had moved on to America by now. He was from there after all and therefore he knew it best. At least, he was made to think he was from there - and he did spend several years there living out the shell of a life that he was made to believe was real. She figured that he would not have traveled there while the kids were still too young. Now that they were older though, he could have already moved there. That was a definite possibility, and it troubled Eleanor but she did not let it faze her. She hoped to at least find a trace of him and follow him to wherever he finally ended up.

Eleanor was growing to dislike her isolation. While she had been isolated under the 'care' of her mother, she had at least been able to talk to the other Little Sisters or to her mother at times. She had also been able to fill her hours learning and working to revive her Father, and of course once he was alive she had been able to speak to him as through the Little Sisters and through her own connection with him, and finally in person when he came to save her.

Now, there was nobody for her to speak to. No Little Sisters. No mother. No Father.

The first part of those three statements hit her hard, and the last was a crushing blow to the heart. Regret for the deaths of the little ones to allow them to escape clawed at her, and agony at seeing her Father die once more ripped deep, opening fresh wounds in her mental condition. Struggling to stay in control and composed, she walked over to the control center of the lifeboat.

After manipulating the controls, the rumbling of machinery from below made her smile as the engines whirred to life. The lifeboat ever so slowly began to move, and after making sure she was heading in the right direction she left the controls and walked towards the rear of the boat.

Tall and imposing, with a bright light atop it, the lone lighthouse stood alone in the middle of the vast ocean. While she had officially left the city having gone to the surface, the lighthouse was still technically part of Rapture. And to see it began to recede towards the horizon, Eleanor finally began to feel like she was truly leaving it all behind. Placing a gloved hand on the glass, her thoughts once more turned to her Daddy.

"I... I miss you, Father," she whispered, "You gave me hope that I may redeem myself... and one day perhaps... perhaps, I shall."

A grumbling from her stomach reminded her that she had not eaten in many hours so she went below decks and opened up one of the canned foods. A long journey awaited her, and again that made her think of how lonely she now felt. She hoped that Jack Ryan was still alive and that he was in Greenland. Or if not, at least she hoped to find his trail and track him down.

She needed his help.

-**ooo****o**-

Grace watched as one of her friends, a man named Tyrell, worked on one of the Elite Security Bots that she had at her disposal. After having escorted Delta, they had returned to her largely intact - a sign that someone up above was watching over her. At least, that's what Grace thought. Tyrell thought it was merely because they were the best security bots to have been built, though he did not voice his opinion on the matter.

He was not much of a fighting man, his thin frame too weak to wield anything more than a pistol and he absolutely refused to take any plasmids out of fear of turning into one of those barely human splicers. Not to mention he was a self-declared pacifist. At least, he was a pacifist with regards to directly meting out violence, only condoning it when absolutely necessary to be used. He figured what he was doing was helping the bots defend themselves and survive longer, and that he was not directly harming anyone by it.

The old singer had called him in, one of the few survivors in the hotel still untouched by the madness of plasmids, and had asked him for a special tweaking to the bots. He had been confused at her request, but he complied. She was an old friend after all, and she had always done right by him.

He remembered vividly the appearance of that Big Daddy at Pauper's Drop. There was much commotion, what with Sofia Lamb instructing the Family to kill him, labeling him as 'the defiler'. Lots of splicers died at his hands as well as some normal folk who tried to carry out Dr. Lamb's orders, and he had seen a good amount of the carnage the Alpha model Big Daddy had wreaked upon the Drop. And though he knew the splicers were crazed and violent, he could not help but feel a little bad for them. They had not harmed Tyrell after all, mostly because Grace had told them not to and had said he was part of the Family, admittedly, though part of it was also because he made sure to steer clear from them.

Even though some of them were part of the Family, they were still mentally unbalanced. And not all splicers were members of the Family either. Their violent natures coupled with their warped minds made it difficult to predict and control them. No one ever felt too removed from danger when around them, allies or not.

"Are you sure about this, Gracie?" he asked again, pausing in his work.

"Oh yes, I'm sure about this indeed, Tyrell dear," came the reply as she leaned on her cane and watched him with a critical eye as he worked.

Tyrell had told her the bots were better used to protect the hotel, especially since the Family was much thinned out thanks to the Alpha. The death of Sofia Lamb and the escape of Eleanor also no doubt meant that some who had previously been members of the Family would no longer feel they should be a part of it. And telling the difference between those who still uphold the Family and those who do not was damn near impossible until it was too late. At least the bots kept some measure of security and enforcement in place.

She had insisted, however, and he could not refuse her anything.

Within a half hour he had finished with his tweaking on both of the Elite Security Bots. Activating them, they came to life with a whirring of rotors and blades and almost immediately left the room, bobbing about in the air as they went on their mission. He turned and looked at Grace, who watched the doorway intently even after the bots had gone.

"Anythin' else you need while I'm up here?" asked the wiry man, rubbing his nose.

Grace inclined her head ever so slightly, her eyes locking with his, "No, that'll be all for now, dear. Thank you so very much. I really do appreciate this."

Tyrell gave her a toothy grin, showing some missing teeth and creasing his deep wrinkles even further, "Don't you worry 'bout it, Gracie. Now I'm off. I'll be in the courtyard helping with the clean up if you need me."

He stepped out of the room, leaving Grace to herself.

The old singer then activated a small machine a few minutes after Tyrell left. She gave it a determined look and a nod of satisfaction as it came to life with a slight humming sound. A wire connected it to a monitor that was scrounged up from the bottom floors, and through it she could see what the robots saw and she could activate certain protocols that were now in place on the bots should the need arise. The screen was a little fuzzy and out-of-focus so she adjusted the antennae on the machine.

"Go now and find him," she said as she watched live video feed from the robots.

* * *

**A/N: **Things should start to get more interesting soon enough. :)


	4. Chapter III

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bioshock.

* * *

**In the Name of the Father**

Chapter III

* * *

_ADAM_. He needed ADAM. His body craved it. Wanted it at any cost. Mind-bending desire made him search for it. Made him twitchy. Angry. _Crazy__._

A part of him knew that all his splicing had corrupted his mind and body. The part that knew that was still rational, still sane. A small part, but a part nonetheless. While that part no longer had complete control over his actions, it at least still held some measure of control. And it exerted that control with all its might at that moment. As much as he craved for ADAM, he also craved to survive. Taking on a Big Sister was perhaps near the bottom of the list of the best things to do to survive in Rapture. Especially if you were by yourself, which he was.

No. He would not attack. Should not. Too much risk. Death would be certain through such an action. As it was, he was relieved that it seemed to pay no attention to him. And it was then that he observed with surprise what the Big Sister was doing.

Now, he had seen his fair share of crazy and incredulous things happen - but this was most definitely a first.

Behind it, being dragged on the ground in a make-shift sled of some kind, was a Big Daddy. An Alpha series, if he remembered correctly. He was not sure. Parts of his memory were getting very fuzzy. It seemed to be the right name, though it did not matter really. Whatever it was, it was being dragged along by a Big Sister.

He was not sure why. It was an odd sight, even for Rapture, but he did not intend to find out why. No. That would be unwise. He needed to get out of there. Move along while he had an opportunity. Whatever was happening, it would be very bad for him if he stuck around. A Big Sister and a Big Daddy. No, no, no. Not good at all.

So he left. Shaking his head and muttering to himself all the while.

Even for splicers, some things were still considered odd and ridiculous in Rapture.

-**ooo****o**-

Three rooms made up the entire ticket booth. The teller room, with its windows to deal with customers, the back office room, and the storage room. The back office had been converted into a makeshift sleeping area. Though it was small, the girls were thankfully all little and so they all fit onto the mattresses she had brought in and placed on the floor wall-to-wall. That had been a difficult task, one that she completed as soon as she knew the area was mostly cleared - at least temporarily - by Delta.

The storage room had some shelving units, much like those found in grocery markets, and right now they were mostly filled with some spare parts, cash, First Aid kits, EVE Hypos, and some guns. Those were on the top shelves, out of reach of the little girls. Safety first after all. The bottom shelves had some toys and and kiddy books for the children, some she had brought along with her from the surface and others she had scrounged around while she had been scavenging.

On the middle shelves was their food supply, which Tenenbaum was now inspecting. She made a tsk-ing sound as her eyes swept over the meager supply. A hand unconsciously went to her pistol as she thought of heading out to find more food. It was imperative that she get some more. One of the drawbacks of having a group of little kids to take care of was that they consumed a lot of food. Especially these girls, who haven't had proper meals in a long time.

They had not needed to after all, the slugs in their bodies feeding them ADAM which was in a way nutritious for them. Not to mention cells that died from lack of energy or nutrients merely regenerated again. There was hardly any need to eat while they were under the influence of the ADAM slugs, but now that they were free of that terrible curse they were just as hungry as any child.

She dreaded going out there alone. Not that she had any trouble, really. Brigid Tenenbaum had survived Rapture for this long, and she had survived World War I _and _II. To say she had experience and skills in survival would have been an understatement. But merely having those skills and experience did not completely eliminate risk, and there was always a risk of dying out there. _Especially_ in Rapture. What made it more difficult down here for her was that she only had one plasmid. Telekinesis.

A powerful plasmid, to be sure, particularly when used effectively and properly. But a lack of alternative offensive powers as well as defensive-minded plasmids meant she had to rely mostly on regular old weaponry. Guns. Like her revolver. Loaded with .38 caliber bullets, in the hands of a sharp marksman it was a deadly weapon. Enough to blow the head off of any splicers. Thankfully, Tenenbaum had been able to practice and hone her aim a lot over the years.

Still, stealth had been the key to her survival thus far. She was not strong enough to last in a prolonged firefight against multiple opponents. She was no Jack Ryan and neither was she a Subject Delta. With no armor both physically and of the plasmid-variety, her probability of getting injured in a fight was greatly increased. So she relied on stealth, surprise, and of course her brilliant mind.

And so, armed with that she told the little ones to behave and after carefully making sure that the chamber outside was devoid of life she exited the booth. Quickly behind her she heard one of the little ones lock the door.

_Good girl_, she thought as she walked away. Her eyes never stopped moving around. Always searching, studying. Her movements were fluid and her steps soft and light as she glided off to find food for her little charges. In the back of her mind, she hoped that there would be no difficulties.

-**ooo****o**-

Grace Holloway looked on somberly as the remaining survivors of her part of the Family rebuilt the barricades that the Alpha series Big Daddy had torn apart when he had come in looking for the key pass. There were eighteen of them left. Eleven men and seven women, including Grace. The men were busy hauling whatever heavy materials they could find to rebuild the barrier they had erected. They did, however, leave a space in the middle big enough for someone to get through should that be necessary.

Three of the women, all of them in their mid twenties, stood watch with shotguns in their hands. Hard eyes watching and nervous fingers playing on their long steel death-dealers.

All of this was under the supervision of a man named Robert Sarge. Well, that was not his last name, but he liked to think so. Nobody knew what his real last name was, but people called him Sarge all the same - he had been a sergeant in the army before. Army Corps. of Engineers. A useful background in dark times like these.

Grace remembered he had come along with five of the survivors in tow a while back, all of the armed to the teeth and with stone cold gazes that only many battles and seeing many deaths could bring about. She knew it all too well. As a singer, she had learned to study the crowd. To gauge the mood and to see how each person felt and reacted as she sang. And a lot of her patrons back in the day had been former soldiers, those who were hoping to forget the hardships of their previous life.

Sarge had planned to have a heavy barricade up front, with the opening in the middle, and behind that a secondary barricade from where they could cover the lone entrance should any splicers dare to enter. It was a good strategy, and were it not for the fact that the appearance of Delta had been sudden and they had not had time to adequately prepare, the events of that day may have turned out differently.

Thankfully, they had not. Else Grace would have continued on believing the massive and troubling lies of Sofia Lamb. What a pity that such intelligence had resided in a twisted woman. Much like Andrew Ryan - a man who had a great vision, one that she had initially believed in. But when Rapture began to crumble, Andrew Ryan could not believe it. He refused to believe that his city was falling apart. The warning cracks had slowly made themselves visible, and yet he had ignored them. When the going got tough, Andrew Ryan got tougher. Instead of improving the situation however he had deteriorated it. In asserting control, he had lost control.

She pondered for a moment, thinking of how maybe if he had acted properly at the first signs of trouble all this would never have happened. Had he paid more heed to those cracks in the foundations of Rapture, he might have spared the city the terror and violence that consumed it. That still consumed it.

Grace might not be as smart as Andrew Ryan or Sofia Lamb, but she was smart enough to see all of that and shake her head at how everything had transpired thus far.

Another barricade was being built at the second entrance into the hotel, this too designed much in the same way as the first. In the Big Daddy's wake of destruction, the survivors had managed to comb the area and part of their scavenging had produced some damaged bots that were hastily repaired and put back into service. One sentry turret, machine gun at the ready, guarded each entrance. A rocket turret guarded the central atrium - deactivated for now since it might inadvertently strike the defenders guarding the entrances. It would only be activated should there be a retreat.

Feeling a bit safer now, she began to walk back up to her apartment but stopped when she saw an older teen running over to her. He huffed, breathing hard having run all the way from upstairs where she had instructed him to watch the monitor for signs of a Big Daddy. She had described the one she was looking for to him and then went on her way, leaving him by the monitor.

The teen looked at her excitedly. "I think your robot found him!"

* * *

**A/N: **I had a plot idea come into my head today for another BioShock story that I think I will end up writing sometime soon. But we'll get there once I finish this one. I think. haha :) Thanks for the reviews.


	5. Chapter IV

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bioshock.

* * *

**In the Name of the Father**

Chapter IV

* * *

Darkness. It surrounded him. It had weight. A presence that he could feel on his body. A pressure, coming from all around. Yet he could also feel it within him. As if he was made of it himself. But if he was made of it, then why was there a distinction between his body and the darkness surrounding him. He did not understand. If two things were the same, and one was engulfed in the other then do they not become a whole? He must not be able to feel a separation. But there was.

And it troubled him. He did not know why, but it was troubling. Something was not right.

Instantly, there was a blinding flash that engulfed him. But that was soon forgotten, because the next thing he felt was terrible and immense pain.

-**xxxxxx**-

Brushing aside stray brown hair that dangled over her face, the thin doctor approached the vending machines cautiously. She half-turned to either side, eyes scanning the hallway. It was empty. The only noises coming from the constant hum that permeated all of Rapture as well as the occasional sounds of water splashing, dripping, or gushing forth.

"Welcome to the Circus of Values!" greeted the machine before her with the voice of a clown. Tenenbaum shivered. She did not like clowns. They were creepy, and she thought they looked spookier than a splicer.

Taking off the backpack she had brought along with her, she opened it up and took out a hacking tool. A few moments later, and she had successfully hacked into the machine and was receiving bargain discounts for its contents. This Circus of Values machine had some pistol ammunition, which she stocked up on. One could never have too much ammo down here in Rapture after all.

Next she bought a several dozen pep bars and creme-filled cakes. Not exactly nutritious, but it would do. Besides, kids loved the sweet stuff. Stuffing them into the bag and closing it up, she slung it over her shoulders again. Pistol in hand, she left the laughing clown and the circus music as she proceeded down the hall.

According to the floor plans, there was a service room close by. Hopefully filled with food supplies.

She walked towards the bulkhead door at the end of the hall. SECURIS etched across its top. The locking mechanism rotated and the door slid open with only a minor rumble. Quickly surveying the scene, she noticed the dried blood splattering the walls and the floor - not an uncommon sight these days - as well as a few corpses littered about. All of them long dead, their bodies decayed to the point that they were for the most part bones.

Kneeling at each corpse, she searched their remains for anything useful. It was grisly work and she detested it, but it had to be done. Her and the little girls' survival depended on having adequate supplies. She found a few well-worn dollar bills here and there that she pocketed. Two pep bars. A First Aid kit, slightly open. Contents were untouched, which meant that the person who was going to use them died before they could open it all the way.

Finding nothing else worth taking, she forged on towards the service room she had seen on the floor plans. Sure enough, one hallway over, she found it.

"Schiesse," she muttered. It was locked. A code had to be entered to gain access. She could try her luck hacking in, but it might take her a while and she was uncomfortable with staying there in the open for too long.

As she was debating what her next move was to be, she noticed the ground beneath her start to shake every so often. It was a distinct, rhythmic shaking, and it got stronger as time went on. She knew what it was, but she wondered if the little one was with it. She looked around, her mind snapping into action as she came up with a plan. A plan that hinged on it coming through this room. Judging from the increasingly louder sounds of its heavy footsteps as well as the shaking of the floor it was indeed coming.

Using her telekinesis power, she quickly arranged her trap. Gathering as much debris as she could, she made a large pile out of them all right next to the bulkhead door in the direction of the noisy guardian that was about to get a rude surprise.

Then, grabbing one of the corpses with telekinesis, she placed it on the other side of the door and she waited.

Twisting unlocked, the bulkhead slid open to reveal a Little Sister and her Big Daddy guardian. A Rosie.

Tenenbaum gulped. They were harder to kill because of their thicker armor. No matter though, she would manage. She had to save the Little Sister.

"Look Mr. B! An _angel__!_" cried the girl, her glowing yellow eyes seemingly getting brighter. A small hand was raised, index finger pointed towards one of the corpses nearby. She quickly ran to it, "Come, come, Mr. B!"

The Rosie took two lumbering steps into the room and then something attacked it from the side. Roaring a cry of challenge, the Rosie took a step back a little as it turned on its side, aiming its rivet gun at whatever had dared to assault it. The corpse was levitating off the ground, head lolled, but the Rosie it did not seem to notice. It effectively saw red, its porthole changing to that color, as it let loose with its rivet gun. Metal bolts punching through the fragile bones, causing the torso of the corpse to split apart, lower half falling to the ground.

Then with a loud crash, the pile of debris that towered over it on the other side - now behind the Rosie - toppled over. The Big Daddy fell to the ground and was soon under a pile of debris. It struggled, trying to free itself, and as it did so Tenenbaum sprinted up close.

"Mr. B!" cried the Little Sister in shock and fear, but the doctor paid no attention to the girl - all her focus on getting rid of her big metal guardian.

The Rosie was slowly moving back onto a knee, having cleared enough debris off of it, when Tenenbaum found what she was looking for. Strapped on its back were several mines, which she quickly relieved from the Rosie with her telekinesis. She armed all of them and then ran to the Little Sister, who screamed out as she was grabbed and hauled into the air. She dropped the mines down onto the floor and ran, Little Sister squirming in her arms and protesting, "No! No! Mr. B!" Sure enough, the sound of the Little Sister's panicked screams sent the Rosie into an even greater rage.

With renewed vigor it got onto its feet and bellowed angrily before charging recklessly forward, rivet gun swinging up to shoot. But before it could get a shot off it had walked right into the group of mines she had thrown down.

By then Tenenbaum was already through the bulkhead door, the mines exploding just as the door began to slide shut.

Finding the nearest vent, the doctor quickly went to work and freed the Little Sister. A blinding white flash later and a pale little girl looked up at her with big eyes and smiled, "Thank you!"

"You know where to go, little one," she said softly as she stroked her cheek.

She nodded and proceeded to climb up into the vent. Tenenbaum waited until she was in before leaving, pistol gripped tightly in her hands as her eyes resumed their vigilant searching. The explosion was sure to attract splicers, but if she was lucky and moved quickly enough she might be able to return to the ticket office before she got into any major conflicts. Might.

* * *

**A/N: **Penny for your reviews? haha


	6. Chapter V

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bioshock.

* * *

**In the Name of the Father**

Chapter V

* * *

Eleanor was outside, the lifeboat plowing through the ocean. She was still in her armored suit, though she had her helmet off. Hair blowing wildly about in the wind, she smiled. Ocean spray dampening her skin as the wind blew across her skin. She savored the feeling.

This was what she imagined freedom feeling like. A sense of movement and wildness. Of being in the elements. A feeling of not being restrained by walls. All her life she had been surrounded by walls. Glass walls. Metallic walls. There was always a boundary, a restriction she could not cross. And up to this moment she did not understand just how stifled she had felt down there. How oppressive it felt now compared to this! This vastness that stretched all around her.

She let herself savor the moment and the feeling, before her thoughts finally turned somewhat serious. Her eyes strained to see towards the horizon, and she thought she could make out land at the very edge of it, but she was not sure. She was still too far away.

Grabbing onto a railing to steady herself as the boat hit some rough waves, she kept her eyes towards the horizon. The seemingly endless horizon, always so far no matter how much she moved towards it.

Greenland was apparently farther than she thought it was. She knew it was one of the closest landmasses, but she did not know how 'close' it really was. She would get there sooner or later however. She just needed to have patience. Hard to be patient though when she yearned for social contact. Eleanor was afraid she might start talking to herself. Hopefully she would get to land before that happened. In the meantime, she returned her thoughts to the feel of the wind on her skin.

-**xxxxxx**-

Grace had walked as fast as she was able to get upstairs, and the effort had left her very tired. Breathing heavier than she had in a long time. She was not as young as she used to be. Moving around to look at the screen, she allowed herself a small smile.

"I found you Big Daddy. Now, where are you?" she mumbled as she got the controls.

Delta was lying face down on the floor, arms sprawled out. There was no sign of the Big Sister that had dragged him there.

After manipulating the controls a little she managed to get the security bot to look around with its camera. She saw that there was a Vita-Chamber nearby and looking around some more she recognized the area. The Big Daddy was in a building called the Surfscraper - a play on the traditional skyscraper - and it was a large office building. It was close by, close enough to walk to. But she did not want to force anyone to help retrieve the body.

No, she needed a volunteer. Maybe three.

The teen was by the door, watching and waiting. He looked up when she called to him.

"Please bring me Tyrell, dear. And Sarge too. Tell them it's urgent."

He nodded and ran off.

It took about fifteen minutes for the two to make it to her apartment. She was sitting down at her desk in her secret room, having spent her time trying to think of a way to convince them to risk their lives to save the corpse of a Big Daddy. One who had barged into Pauper's Drop and killed some of the Family. This was the same Big Daddy, however, that had freed them from the deceit and influence of Sofia Lamb. And of course, one that Grace owed her life to - twice over since she counted him saving Eleanor as a debt to be paid as well.

_If they don't want to retrieve the body_, she thought in all seriousness, _Then I'll go get it all by my damn self._

With that decided already in her mind, she turned slightly to face the door at the same time that someone knocked on it.

"Gracey, you wanted to see us?" asked Tyrell's familiar voice from the other side of the door.

"Yes, Tyrell dear. Come in."

Tyrell was rather small, or at least standing next to Sarge made him look much smaller than he really was. Tyrell was about five feet eight inches and weighed 160 or so pounds. Sarge was six-two, two-twenty. His training and habitual exercising had kept him in shape through the years. Tyrell, on the other hand, had always been a mechanic and had rarely worked out. Even their demeanor was different, with Tyrell being more relaxed and easy-going while Sarge was rigid and tense. Always ready to fight. Which was a very handy skill to have in Rapture. Yes indeed.

"What do you want, Grace?" asked Sarge, a hint of irritation in his voice. He had no doubt been busy repairing something or other and organizing the remaining Family in making sure their position was better defended. There was also no doubt that he thought this was a waste of time, but since Grace was the de facto leader, and he was okay with that really, he had to be there when she summoned him.

Grace had by then moved the monitor with her and it was now sitting on the desk. She had set the security bot to guard the corpse, and it whirred about in a seemingly erratic pattern as it safeguarded its target. It would be strong enough to stop anything short of a Big Daddy or a Big Sister or a horde of splicers.

She told them.

"I'm sorry, you want us to do _what_?" Sarge's reaction was not unexpected. Grace could already tell he was going to oppose it.

Tyrell was silent.

"Grace, are you outta your goddamn mind? No way in hell we should risk anyone to go out there and bring back some damned corpse!" said Sarge, his face contorted in a look of bewilderment.

She sighed, "I didn't tell you to do it, Sarge. I only asked, you are free to decline."

"Damn right I'll decline. Sorry, Grace, but I'm not risking my neck to bring back a dead metal monster. No sirree, I ain't stepping a foot outside those barricades unless absolutely necessary." He crossed his big arms across his chest to emphasize the point.

Tyrell finally spoke, "I'll do it."

Sarge's head swiveled over to look at Tyrell so fast that Grace could have sworn she heard it crack. "Are _you_ out of your damn mind? You can't be serious..."

Tyrell was staring straight at Grace and said nothing.

"Fine. Go out there and get yourself killed trying to bring back a damned lifeless piece of junk. I won't stop you. But you're making a big mistake, Tyrell. Don't say I didn't warn you," Sarge growled, clearly upset as well as surprised by the man's decision. With another glance at Grace, he turned and left. Boots thudding heavily on the wooden floor.

"Why?" asked Grace, her voice a whisper.

Corners of his mouth twitching into a smile, he replied, "Because that Big Daddy spared your life and saved us from Lamb. And I feel this is the right thing to do." He turned to leave, but paused and without looking at Grace said, "I'll be leavin' now. See you soon, Gracey."

The old woman stared at the empty doorway for quite some time, tears in her eyes. She hoped that he would be fine. That she was not sending him to his death. Because, deep down inside, she knew that she liked him more than just a friend.

-**xxxxxx**-

Pain. So much pain. He did not know what was wrong. Why he was hurting so much. Much of it was concentrated in his chest.

He was gasping in air to his burning lungs, breathing as if he had not breathed for a long time. His heart was beating wildly, as if it had forgotten what it was like to pump even though it had done so for more than thirty years now.

Everywhere else there was that tingling sensation, like a numbed limb regaining feeling again. And though that was not too painful, it was highly uncomfortable.

He groaned, moving around slowly. His body felt stiff and sore. Again he was not sure why. What was going on? Where was he?

Opening his eyes, his vision blurry, he raised his head to try to look around. His neck muscles ached and complained, but grudgingly obeyed as he was able to lift his head high enough to see properly. His vision was becoming sharper, gaining more focus. And his memory was slowly coming back to him.

_A surgical procedure long ago... more pain... then, a little girl... he remembered her clearly, but he could not remember her name... she had called him Daddy... then an older woman, with glasses. And a pistol... he remembered that pistol, and then a brief flash of pain even greater than the one he was experiencing... and then waking up again, much the same as this time... then fighting. Lots of fighting... escaping to the surface... then dying. The last words he had heard were from that little girl... she had called out to him again. Daddy..._

With all the force of a tidal, his memories fully returned to him. At least, all memories after the Big Daddy transformation. His mind felt like it had been jolted with a million volts of electricity - coming to life with renewed vigor and strength. He slid an armored hand in front of his face, the back of his hand to him. The Greek symbol Delta was imprinted onto the backhand surface of his armored glove. He emitted a low moan. Noticing that he was on the floor, he tried to get up but his body protested mightily so he lay there for a little while to gather strength.

His lungs still burned, his heart still pounded, and his extremities still tingled. But that was all normal, considering he had just been brought back from the dead. Again.

He growled in frustration.

Why was he alive again? He did not know how he had gotten close enough to a Vita-chamber to activate it. He also did not know how he had entered into the building in the first place. Someone had deliberately taken him close to a Vita-chamber's range. But why? And why leave him there alone?

At least, he _thought_ he was alone. He struggled to get up, his muscles feeling a bit weakened. He needed food. And a First Aid kit. The Vita-chamber could only do so much after all, a complete recovery was impossible with the machine. Still, it had done most of the work and he knew it would not be long before he was feeling one-hundred percent again.

Woozy, he swayed slightly and struggled to keep his balance as he got onto his feet. Once he was steadied enough, he checked his equipment. He had lost his guns, all except for the rivet gun which was still thankfully strapped across his back. His drill was still attached to his arm, so he had that too. A few mines were still there as well as various ammunition. He would need to find more weapons though, and fast. Then he noticed that he had lost most of his First Aid kits, though he thankfully still had one on him.

He did not want to use it unless absolutely necessary - he might need it later. Adding to his growing dismay, he did not have any EVE hypos on him. They probably fell out either during the blast or as he was sinking to the depths of the dark, deep ocean. He could sense that he had a low EVE amount in his bloodstream, replenished by the Vita-Chamber.

Looking around, his vision having cleared up, he did not recognize where he was. He was in a hallway, empty of course, but messy. There were papers strewn all over the floors, numerous dents and scratches on the walls as well as bullet holes. But surprisingly, there was no blood at all anywhere.

Then he finally noticed the whirring sound - an all-too-familiar sound. Propellers revolving. He let out a low growl as he turned around, hand reaching back for his rivet gun. The sight of the security bot hovering, unmoving, made him hesitate. Then he noticed that instead of the tell-tale signs of aggression - glowing red lights - this security bot had green lights indicating that it was friendly. That was a pleasant surprise.

Looking closely at the bot, he thought that it looked vaguely familiar to him.

It moved around a little bit and he watched it warily. Maybe this was some kind of trick. He waited a minute or two. Nothing happened. Finally satisfied, he allowed himself to relax, though not completely. He still was not sure he could trust the bot. However, he had definitely seen this one before. That in itself was indicative that perhaps this bot could be trusted - since most security bots looked alike. But this one was different, one that he could specifically point out if it had been in a group of others. Could not remember where or when though.

He would have to find out later. First things first, he needed to find more weapons and supplies. As strong as he was, he was quite vulnerable at the moment. Vulnerable in Rapture usually meant death. And he had no plans of dying a third time.

* * *

**A/N: **I hope you've enjoyed the story so far and are prepared for some more!


	7. Chapter VI

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bioshock.

* * *

**In the Name of the Father**

Chapter VI

* * *

She eyed the expanse of land creeping closer to her from the horizon with a mixture of excitement and fear.

Excitement because she had finally reached land, the first time in her life she would step foot on soil, and excitement for the chance to find and meet Jack Ryan. Fear because she was about to step out into the world she barely knew except for what she had learned in books and from what her mother... no, what that _crazy woman_ had taught her. Fear because she was not sure how to proceed, how to act. All she knew was life in Rapture - a constant struggle for survival and the ever-present threat of violence erupting from every shadow and corner.

Eleanor punched in a few commands into the control console and the lifeboat slowed its pace by half. Scanning the coast for any signs of civilization, she wanted to be sure that nobody would see her approach and land. She wanted to keep her lifeboat safe from potentially being stolen, ransacked or reported in to whatever authorities there may be. Discretion and stealth were her best options for survival at this point, especially since she was not sure how these people would react to her presence.

As she got closer, she realized that the land before her was not connected together. It was a string of islands and rocks, though she could see in the farther distances land that was all connected. This was a collection of small islands and rocky formation that jutted out from the mainland. A perfect place to hide her boat. The separation of the islands would create additional barriers to anyone traveling by, reducing the chance of someone stumbling upon her boat by accident.

Spotting a sheltered place to make land, she slowed the boat even more and took the controls herself. With great care Eleanor slid the boat into the little cove, just large enough for her boat. To one side was a sheer cliff that went up about a hundred feet. A natural wall to help hide the boat.

At this point the sun was beginning its descent towards the horizon, fiery orange light glowing across the sky. Looking at the plant life around the area, she surmised that it must be nearing winter time. Many of the trees and bushes nearby were leafless and she did not see much greenery around. A sense of urgency welled up within her. Finding Jack before the full wrath of winter came bearing down upon her was now of the utmost importance. She did not want to get stuck too long during the winter trying to find a man who may or may not be there anymore.

Well, he had to stay close to the coast somehow. Fishing was probably the easiest and most reliable food to find. Also, that was where most of the villages were to be found - and no matter how much he wanted to stay isolated there were things the villagers would undoubtedly be able to provide to help sustain his little family. At least for her sake, that was the thinking she hoped Jack had done.

Flipping one of the switches on the control console, she dropped the boat's anchor. Then she went below to gather up some supplies for her journey. She would find the closest human settlement, and hopefully she would be able to talk to the villagers and find out if they knew anything about Jack. Taking some candy bars and cans of meat with her as well as some First Aid kits, she put them all into a small backpack she had found. She added some bottles of water in case she could not find any clean sources to drink from. Satisfied that she had everything, she grabbed the bag and went out onto the metallic outer deck.

She walked to the edge closest to the shore and leapt rather gracefully, boots crunching onto the rocky sand. Eleanor paused for a moment, eyes looking down at her feet.

Her first steps on land.

Then she began to walk. She wanted to get up on top of the hill nearby, the one with the hundred-foot cliff. Hopefully it would provide a good view of the area and she could determine where to go from there. She had to hurry though, because night was coming quickly, the sun having gone down even lower towards the horizon.

-**xxxxxx**-

Delta had lumbered down the hall and into a large office space. He realized then that he was in some kind of office building, at least it made sense that he was. Papers strewn everywhere and the overall business-like feel of the place, not to mention the large office space that he was currently in. Numerous cubicles filled the space, separated into distinct blocks with enough space for paths to walk between them easily enough.

One of the overhead lights was flickering, and the ones farthest away were broken, leaving that area of the space dark and suspicious-looking. Delta gripped the handle of his drill tighter. He took comfort in the fact that the whirring security bot had followed him, though he hoped to find more weapons soon. Relying on a robot to survive was not a good idea.

He walked through the space, looking into the cubicles he passed for anything he might be able to use. He found a few power bars and a stash of canned corned beef he thought might come in handy. He also found a hack tool to replace the one he had lost. It seemed to be a newer version than the one he had previously owned, since it had a lot more space for hack darts and mini turrets.

In one cubicle he found an EVE hypo, somewhat hidden by some papers but the blue glow it emitted gave it away. Other than that, he did not find anything else he might have use for.

He was nearing the dark end of the space. Several more cubicles separated him from the far wall, where he could make out a door. Looking about, he cautiously moved forward and made an effort to quiet his footsteps. A difficult thing to do, but it was worth a try.

Sounds of rustling papers emanated from somewhere to his right, and he turned raising his drill. Nothing. Then he heard the tell-tale signs of a spider splicer: metallic scratching and tapping sounds. From what he could hear, there was more than one of them. The cubicles provided too much cover for them, and being surrounded by them made them have the advantage since they had numbers.

Thinking quickly, he burst into a run heading for the far wall. If he could fight with his back to the wall, he would stand a better chance since he would not have to worry about any splicers creeping up on him from the cubicles at his back. The security bot sped up as well, trying to catch up to him.

Just when he thought he might make it untouched, something rammed him from the side. He staggered left and eventually fell into a cubicle, the splicer on top of him. The cubicle wall had buckled in half from the impact and the desk inside had broken, sending everything crashing to the ground. Raising a hook to hack at the fallen Delta, the splicer yelled in triumph - but it was a fleeting victory as the sounds of gunfire erupted from above. A barrage of bullets tore through the splicer, sending it sprawling into one of the cubicle walls.

Delta spent a brief moment thanking the bot as he got back onto his feet, drill at the ready for the second attack he knew was coming. Sure enough, another spider splicer jumped from the cubicle next to the one he had destroyed, hooks high up in the air. In one quick motion, Delta brought up his drill and activated it. The splicer realized his mistake a half second before his body landed onto the drill. Screaming in agony for a moment as the drill spun, blood everywhere, the splicer finally fell silent. He flicked his arm to the side and the splicer was thrown down onto the ground with a thud.

He looked around, ready for another attack, but none came. Slowly, he made his way towards the far wall. With his back to the wall, he waited a few seconds - there had to be more of them. Then he heard a noise from above and his reflexes made him deactivate his drill and reach for his rivet gun as he scrambled to the right just in time to avoid some metal hooks that embedded themselves into the wall. The spider splicer's eerie mask followed his movements and it scrambled to get closer as it threw some more hooks his way.

Delta growled and unleashed the power of telekinesis with his left hand, causing the splicer to cry out in surprise. Hovering, powerless in the air, it could not avoid what came next. The security bot opened fire and Delta followed up by shooting a rivet straight at the splicer's head, causing the mask to fall apart in a bloody spray. He then let go of his hold of the splicer and the lifeless body fell into another one of the cubicles. His EVE level was dangerously low from the effort, so he allowed himself to use the EVE hypo he had just gotten to replenish himself.

After several minutes of silence, broken only by the whirring of the security bot's propeller, he decided that there were no more splicers. Or at least they did not want to mess with him anymore. Whatever the case, he needed to proceed onward and find the supplies and weapons he desperately needed. Should there have been more splicers he would have been harder pressed to fight them off with his limited arsenal.

He walked through the door and into another hallway, followed closely his robotic guardian. Rivet gun gripped tightly in his right hand, ready to fire at a moment's notice, he continued on to explore the floor he was on. What he really wanted to find was perhaps a map of some kind to help him get his bearings and for him to plan out his next steps. After all, once he got his weapons and supplies, he needed a plan.

There were several other offices on the floor, all of which were thankfully deserted. Two rooms on the floor were the office break rooms. One of them was locked and the other was open - he found two First Aid kits in the open room as well as some pistol ammunition but no gun. Though he had no pistol, he knew he would be able to get one later on and having extra ammunition was always a plus. Also in the break room he found a few more energy bars and canned food, which he also took along with him. He returned to the locked room, hoping to hack into it.

While breaking down the door would have worked faster and more efficiently, doing so would have triggered the building alarms and sent security bots his way for an entire minute. Delta was in no mood to deal with that, so he tried to do it the more subtle way. Taking out the hacking tool, he quickly went to work. It took him a few seconds but he eventually got the door unlocked and it swung open without resistance.

When he looked into the roomr however, he instantly regretted it.

-**xxxxxx**-

Tyrell held the shotgun steadily in his hands, the butt of the big gun pressed up onto his shoulder. The feel of the cold steel in his hands made him more aware of the weapon. His eyes were squinting as he watched for any signs of movement, right index finger ready to pull the trigger in a second should he need to. Behind him was the teenage boy who had insisted on coming along. His name was August, though some people called him Gus. He was holding a tommy gun, or a Thompson submachine gun. A strong weapon in its own right, it was easy enough to wield for the teen and it had a good amount of bullets so he would not have to worry too much about reloading.

He had insisted on coming - and Tyrell had strongly opposed it. And he thought he had made his point since he left alone, but a few minutes later the teen ran up to him. He had been angry, of course, and had told him to go home but he would not listen. A stubborn one. But Tyrell did feel a bit more at ease with someone watching his back. Still, the boy was too young to be out there going on such a dangerous mission. Too late to bring him back now though, not to mention they were already halfway to their destination.

Not a single splicer was sighted, in large part thanks to the body of the man who they were trying to save from the ravages of the monsters that dwelled deep down here in Rapture. Tyrell knew their luck would not hold, though. There seemed to be no end to the amount of splicers in the city. Only a matter of time before they made their way here. Taking a quick glance back to August, he noted how calm he was. Well, at least outwardly. His eyes contained a fear and nervousness that Tyrell had expected him to exhibit.

Not bad for a youngster though. Rapture's demise had forced him to grow up far faster than he should have.

Before long they finally reached the bulkhead door to the tunnel walkway that led to the Surfscraper. The room they were in was empty, a few chairs and couches to the side along with some coffee tables. Some of them were overturned or broken. These areas at the entrances to any tunnel in Rapture were usually places where one could sit down and read, drink coffee, and talk with friends. The whole side with the tunnel was glass, providing a good view of the outside.

Different types of fish swam by in schools of varying sizes. The occasional shark or even whale sometimes prowled by. All of them weaving in between the buildings of Rapture, oblivious to the fact that the city was practically dead.

Raising the shotgun slightly so that it was more level, he slowly approached the bulkhead. His trigger finger itched a tad, but he resisted the urge - it was an urge you sometimes got when you had a weapon in your hand he had come to realize. Humans really did love firearms, and Tyrell was no exception. Could not waste any bullets though, so he calmed himself.

When he got close enough the bulkhead unwound and slid open.

Empty.

He turned again to look at August, who was busy making sure their rear was secure.

"Come on, kid," he said.

August nodded, hands white from gripping the gun too tightly. Tyrell would have told him to ease up on the grip, but he probably would not have listened anyways. Even if he did, he would be back to gripping it tightly soon enough. No, better to let him sort it out for now.

They traversed the tunnel without incident and soon found themselves inside the Surfscraper. They spilled out into the side area of the main lobby. The lights were all off and the lobby was very dark - the only lights coming from the windows as well as the eerie green glow from the emergency exit signs scattered around the lobby, hanging from the ceiling.

Surprisingly, there were no sounds of leaking to be heard - only the faint background humming ever-present in Rapture. And that was what worried Tyrell. Something did not feel right, but they needed to press on so he very carefully walked towards the far end of the lobby. Since the power was out the elevators were out of commission. They would have to take the stairs. Not something he was looking forward to, but hopefully the power to the other parts of the building was undisrupted.

As they plunged deeper into the dark lobby, he turned on the flashlight mounted at the bottom of the end of his shotgun. He noticed that August had brought a flashlight with him and was holding it in his left hand as he held the barrel grip of the Thompson. The teen's left thumb held the flashlight against the weapon. A makeshift gun light.

The kid was doing well so far. Tyrell only hoped that he would be as adaptive and calm in combat as he was now.

Near the stairs was when Tyrell realized something was very very wrong. They were boarded up and random furniture was thrown in front of the doors to the stairwell to block it even further. He was confused by this - why would someone block the stairwell but not the actual entrances to the lobby?

Then he heard them. The splicers had sprung their trap.

* * *

**A/N: **Thank you so much to the people who have reviewed! I really appreciate it and I hope the rest of the story receives as much warmth as you have given so far. That said, the chapters will be getting a bit longer now - and I'll be jumping around a bit less to properly develop the scenes as I want them to occur. Thanks again!


	8. Chapter VII

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bioshock.

* * *

**In the Name of the Father**

Chapter VII

* * *

Eleanor crouched low so that her figure might not be seen so easily from the top of the hill, her head swiveling around and her eyes scanning furiously, searching for any signs of life in the waning sunlight. It took her a few moments to notice the faint, white smoke trails reaching up into the sky in the distance. There were a few of them, meaning that it must be a village. From the looks of it, the village was a few islands over from where she was. She took a moment to decide what to do.

She could wait and camp in her lifeboat one last night then set out for the village at first light, or she could go to the village now. Either way, she would wind up at the village - the only difference would be how long it would take her to finally get there. While a part of her wanted to stay for the night in her boat, a louder part of her told her to go quickly. She could not waste too much time or else she would be stuck there during the winter. And from what she remembered from her studies, winters were very harsh.

Adjusting her pack, she nimbly began to descend the other side of the hill, heading towards the village.

Four islands over, Eleanor looked down upon the village from her perch on the small cliff overlooking the fishing community. She could tell by the fact that there were many boats rigged for fishing docked in the small docks. On the way to the village, she came to the realization that perhaps it would be best to wait until the following day after all before she ventured into the village. She figured it would help a lot if she observed the village for a while.

So that was what she was doing. Her eyesight was sharp, augmented slightly by the splicing - she felt a small bit of anger well inside her at the thought - and she eyed the villagers closely. The first thing that she noticed was that they were dressed in regular clothes. That was a problem for her. She was still wearing her Big Sister wet suit, and while it was indeed very warm and comfortable, she would stick out for sure. Not to mention it would cause many people to ask too many questions.

Filing that thought away for later, she continued to observe for another hour or so before deciding that it would be best to get some rest. She set her pack down and then lay down, her head resting on it. The beautiful night sky stretched out once again before her and she looked at it still with wonder. Sleep came to her soon enough.

-**ooo****o**-

"Eleanor..." called a voice, the sound of it echoing all around. "Eleanor..." it called again.

With a jolt, the girl in the wetsuit woke up, fists clenched and eyes searching. Her body was tense and her heartbeat elevated as she sat up, her ears straining to hear that voice again. But it was gone. The only sounds she heard were the sounds of the surf and the breeze. Since she was already wide awake, she decided to start her day extra early. Looking out to the east, she noticed the sky already brightening and changing color.

Soon, the sun would start to edge its way up and the village would no doubt be bustling with activity. Taking her pack, she returned to her previous vantage point and watched the sleeping village. She was slightly surprised to see a few men already awake, prepping their boats for another run out at sea it looked like. She wondered who she could talk to about Jack. _If _anyone knew about Jack. And though doubt gnawed at her, she had this feeling that someone here would know of him and point her in the right direction. She could not even think about this being a dead end, because then she had no other alternatives except to strike out truly on her own.

Funny how small the world seemed down in Rapture. The vastness of the world beyond the sunken city was still too much for her to think about.

The sun was beginning to peek out over the horizon by the time she snapped out of her thoughts. Looking down again at the village, Eleanor breathed in deeply and forced herself to be calm.

"Everything is going to be okay," she whispered to herself as she closed her eyes and repeated it a few more times.

Once she was satisfied that she was calm and confident enough, she navigated her way down to the village. At such an early time, she hoped she might catch one of the few early risers and start asking questions there. Hopefully she would be able to find her information and move on before the entire village awoke and saw her. While she did not think these people were dangerous or violent, she still felt it safer that the fewer people saw of her the better.

It took her several minutes to descend and enter the village. The streets were quiet, the only noises of life coming from the small docks. A few seagulls flew overhead, crying out to the new day. As she strolled through the empty streets, she hoped she would come across someone who knew about Jack or at least where she could learn more about his whereabouts.

Eleanor was excited to finally see someone.

An elder man perhaps midway through his sixties stepped out of his small house. At his side was a fully grown gray-eyed arctic wolf, which made Eleanor hesitate for a second.

The elder man finally caught sight of her and his eyes widened ever so slightly. His grip on the leash that was attached to the wolf tightened visibly, and the wolf growled as the young woman cautiously approached.

"Hello there," she said in as friendly a tone as she could muster. "My name is Eleanor. I'm just passing through... but I am looking for a friend of mine. His name is Jack. I think he might have been by here a while back... eight years ago I think," she faltered slightly. She forgot that it had been many years probably since Jack passed through here, and she only hoped that the villagers and in particular this old man had a sharp enough memory.

The old man said nothing for a while and for Eleanor it was a rather uncomfortable silence. But then he finally spoke, "Judging from your outfit, I presume you are coming from the same place he did." His voice was strong, he still had a lot of strength in him.

She nodded slowly.

He copied her, nodding his head slowly as well. "Walk with me, Eleanor."

He began walking, wolf in tow and the young woman not far behind him. The wolf was no longer growling and had lost interest in Eleanor, though she was still wary of it.

"My name is Ataninnuaq, by the way. But you may call me Ata," he mentioned.

They passed by a few people, and the old man nodded and smiled at them as he greeted them a good morning. Those few who they did pass eventually saw Eleanor, and they eyed her with curiosity and suspicion. Eleanor imagined they did not get too many visitors.

"Yes..." the old man whispered finally as they began to leave the village proper.

"Excuse me?" asked the young woman, confused.

"I remember Jack. He came by much like you, though a little bit more worse for wear to be honest." They continued walking quietly for a while, Eleanor not daring to interrupt his thoughts in case she might confuse him or accidentally make him forget to tell her something. After all, she needed to know everything she could about Jack's actions and whereabouts after he left Rapture.

"Such a tragic story," he continued as his voice bled with a little sorrow, "Shipwrecked up further north. His wife... their mother... killed. And how he fought to move south and find food and shelter for what remained of his family. Jack is a very brave and resourceful man, that's for sure. Still, it was quite fortunate of him to stumble upon our little village when he did. He looked like he had been through hell and back and I have no doubt in my mind he would not have made it were it not for the drive to protect and care for his children. Such precious little girls."

Eleanor nodded for him to continue. Her mind was already processing what he was saying; Jack had lied about how he had gotten to Greenland, but she knew he had to. Who would believe the real story?

"We took them in and they stayed a week. Jack regained his strength and his daughters were well taken care of. Eventually, they left. Said he wanted to go as far south as he could and then start anew, from what I remember," the old man finished. "I don't doubt he made it. To me he seemed very capable and resourceful."

They had stopped walking, several hundred meters out of the village limits by then.

"Do you have any idea where he could be?" she asked, knowing the reply before it came.

The old man chuckled, "No, my dear. I imagine he could be anywhere in the world by now. Eight years is a long time. For all I know he could be as far south as Brazil where I hear it's not only nice and warm, but there are plenty of beautiful women too!"

She smiled, though inwardly she was upset. She could feel the chances of finding Jack beginning to get even slimmer than they already were. And she had only begun the search!

"Thank you, sir. I really hope I find him," she said, "I should be going now."

"And if you don't mind me asking, why is it that you are looking for him as well?"

Eleanor looked towards the road that ran south away from the village. "He is my uncle. And... my last surviving family," she lied.

He looked very sad when she said that. "My dear, I am so sorry."

"It's okay. I'm... a tough girl."

The old man grinned slightly, "I can see that. Traveling all by yourself in search of an uncle you haven't seen in eight years. It takes a strong woman to keep it all together and go on after such tragedies." He beckoned then towards the village, "Come, why don't you stay for the day and rest up. I imagine you must be weary from your travels as well. We can also get you some more... appropriate clothing."

"I'm... not sure."

"Come now, child. We can also provide some provisions for your journey south, and maybe even some transportation if you're lucky! I can also ask the fishermen and traders if they've heard news of him of late, they travel south sometimes to trade in the bigger towns." He scratched the wolf on the head and the wolf nuzzled up against his hand as he did so. "It's the least I can do to help you."

"Alright. I can stay one night," Eleanor finally relented. She did need some more supplies if she was to continue traveling south. Plus some new and more normal clothes would definitely help her blend in. Besides, what harm was there in staying one night at a quiet little fishing village practically in the middle of nowhere?

-**ooo****o**-

A few hours later, Eleanor had a pack filled as much as possible with food and water for her journey and some very good news: one of the hunters who trades in the southern towns remembered seeing Jack down there about two years ago. He seemed to have settled in according to the merchant, and Eleanor hoped he was still there once she arrived. Not only did the merchant tell them about seeing Jack, but he was actually planning to leave the following morning for the southern towns with a boat-load of his wares.

Things were going smoothly as far as she could tell. People out here were definitely a lot nicer than the people she grew up with in Rapture.

She and Ata were sitting by the fireplace, the sun long gone already.

"Ata, how long will the journey take?"

"A few days at most. The winds blow favorably south these days," he said. "Soon you will see your uncle again. And I imagine his daughters are your age now. You will have plenty of company!"

Eleanor smiled at the thought. There was a chance to have another family, a new life. The only question of course being, will Jack let her join the family?

"And when do we leave?"

"Nauja, his brother Maniitok, and his son Koko will take you on their boat and I believe Nauja said he will leave at dawn. So you best get some rest tonight, Eleanor," replied the old man.

Eleanor stood then, "You're right. I should get to bed so I don't oversleep," she said, "I want to thank you for everything you've done, Ata. I am truly grateful."

"Glad I could help." Ata smiled at her and then watched her leave.

The fire was merely embers when the old man finally stood up from the couch. He walked up to his room, passing by the guest room where Eleanor slept. He paused for a moment in front of the door and in a voice so soft he could barely even hear himself, he whispered, "Forgive me." Then he walked to his room and tried to go to sleep.

* * *

**A/N: **I am very sorry for my absence. School picked up a lot and I found no time to continue writing. But now that it is summertime again, I should have ample time to continue and hopefully finish this tale. Thank you for all the support and for your patience! Chapters will begin to be more one-side focused as opposed to all the jumping around, but there will be the occasional different sides at the same time. Enjoy!


	9. Chapter VIII

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bioshock.

* * *

**In the Name of the Father**

Chapter VIII

* * *

The door opened, and Delta instantly regretted it. Crammed into the previously locked break room were twelve splicers and, before the lumbering steel giant had opened the door, they seemed to have been preoccupied with something on the floor. As both parties stood there in shock, Delta saw that they were actually all standing around a hole in the floor.

"Forget him! We have easier fish to fry!" cried one of the splicers before yelling, "JUMP!" as he leaped into the hole.

"But, what about his Little Sister?" asked one of the splicers, two sharpened steel blades in each hand and a twitch in his eye.

Another splicer responded, "You dun hear one do ya? He aint got one no more! No point!" before he too jumped into the hole.

Confusion came over Delta as he watched the splicers ignore him and jump one by one into the hole, although the last few did so with nervous glances at the Big Daddy. In the span of about two minutes, the room was empty. He did not understand what just happened, and he did not bother trying to as he took a quick look around to see if there was anything he could salvage. But there was nothing. Moving towards the hole, he looked down to see where it led and found that it only went one level below, with a pile of debris stacked high enough that the jump down wasn't so bad.

They had said something about having _easier _fish to fry. But what that meant he did not know, and truthfully he did not want to know. Though he had a bad feeling he was going to find out soon enough since he had to keep heading downstairs anyways. With a sigh, he lumbered on.

-**ooo****o**-

"RUN!" yelled Tyrell as he took aim with his shotgun at the closest splicer and a half-second later blew its head off. They managed to break through the semi-circle the splicers had formed because one group of them on one side were not as cohesive or as strong, and now they were running across the big lobby. The remaining splicers chased after them, crying out foul oaths and unintelligible yells. They were very lucky that none of the splicers had guns - else they would probably already be dead.

August turned slightly as he ran, looking backwards and then he turned around completely. Running backwards, he raised the submachine gun. Taking as careful an aim as he could at the faint silhouette of the nearest moving object he let loose a few bullets that ended up ripping through a splicer and spinning it around with force. It fell to the ground, dead.

"Nice shot kid!" the older man managed to say before spotting a few tables over by the windows, "Get behind those tables! Turn them over!"

The young kid did as instructed and Tyrell fell into a crouch right next to him, quickly reloading shells into the shotgun as he peered around the table. Only a few splicers remained. They were lucky to have gotten this far with only a few cuts and bruises, but it was not over yet. There were still six very angry splicers to deal with.

Peering around the edge of the upturned table, Tyrell saw two splicers creeping closer trying and failing to blend in as much as they could into the far wall. They were apparently going to try and attack them from behind.

"Gus, I need you to take those splicers over there out. They're too far out of range for my shotgun," he pointed their barely discernible shadows over on the fall wall moving at a pretty fast pace - so much so that Tyrell probably might not have noticed them had they been slower. Good thing splicers were not the brightest of the bunch. Well, most of them weren't at least.

"I dropped my flashlight," replied the young boy.

"You can do it, kid. I know you can."

"Okay, I'll try."

Tyrell peeked again over the table this time, trying to locate the other four splicers. They were nowhere to be found. Probably hiding as well.

Bright flashes erupted as Gus opened fire. The sound was deafening, especially since he was firing practically right next to Tyrell's head. He tightened his jaw in discomfort and turned his head away slightly, eyes closing shut so as not lose the adjustment his eyes had already made to the very dim lighting. Off in the distance he heard the sounds of pained and dying splicers and he could not help but grin a little. The kid was a _very _good shot.

Then the floor began to shake rhythmically. Heavy footsteps. A Big Daddy was coming.

"Great, just when I thought we might make it out of this alive," he mumbled.

The splicers were panicking as well, though rather loudly in comparison.

All of a sudden there was a loud roar quickly accompanied by an explosion. Far across the lobby, Tyrell saw the Big Daddy step out of the large hole it had made where the doorway to the stairwell had previously been. Debris had scattered everywhere as the barricade had been broken and thrown into disarray. With heavy, lumbering steps the Big Daddy moved forward with a growl as it spotted the splicers.

Gus raised his gun to fire but Tyrell quickly stopped him and gave him a look, "No, boy. Let the Big Daddy take care of the splicers then pass through. He doesn't know we're here."

The young boy nodded in comprehension. It was working out well for them after all.

Without guns, the splicers stood no chance against the mighty Big Daddy. Soon, the only sounds from that side of the lobby were from the Big Daddy himself, only he was unlike any other Big Daddy Tyrell had seen before. In fact, he _knew _who it was.

"Well I'll be," gasped Tyrell, "That's the Big Daddy we're supposed to be dragging back with us. Except... he's alive?"

August could not believe it either, "What do we do? Are you sure it's him?"

He nodded, "I'm sure. Look, he even has our security bot with him."

The Big Daddy began to walk towards the exit - the way Tyrell and August had originally entered.

Acting quickly, Tyrell jumped to his feet and called out to the Big Daddy. "HEY BIG DADDY! WAIT UP!"

The Big Daddy stopped in its tracks, turned and roared in response.

Tyrell began to walk closer, undeterred. He was carefully to keep his hands up and in the open. "I know you're different, buddy. I was sent here to rescue your body... because, uh.. you know, you're supposed to be dead and all."

The Big Daddy was completely still and made little sound. Then ever so slowly it raised its rivet gun and pointed it at Tyrell.

"OH! Right, you're probably wondering who sent me? Yeah, I don't suppose you remember Grace Holloway? Well, she told me to go get your... uhh.. previously dead body because she saw you drifting out there and then being taken by one of them Big Sisters. And I imagine she took you here, though why she did I really don't know... but hey, look at me I'm rambling.. heh.." To say his heart was pounding would have been an understatement, but he had a feeling he would not be harmed now that he had gotten that out of the way.

As if reading his mind, the Big Daddy lowered his gun and gave a short grunt.

"So, do you still want to come with us to Gracey? I'm sure she'll be happy to see you're alive. We could help patch you up and maybe give you some more weapons if you need it too, I can see you're short of you're usual supply."

Another grunt and then the Big Daddy pointed towards the exit.

"Yeah, that way," he nodded, "Come on out Gus, it's alright. He won't harm us."

The young boy slowly walked over, eyes on the Big Daddy the whole time. Hands on his gun.

_Smart boy_, thought Tyrell, _But hopefully he doesn't do anything stupid_..

"Well now, I guess we should get going."

Another grunt, this time slightly prolonged than the last.

"And I guess I should lead now, shouldn't I? I don't suppose you know your way to the Pauper's Drop from here..." and with that their little group was off.

And what a strange group it was. An old man, a young boy, and a giant Big Daddy. Not to mention the customized security bot. Had Tyrell been told he would be traveling through Rapture in such a group a week ago, hell even the previous day, he probably would have laughed his ass off and told whoever had said that that they were crazy.

-**ooo****o**-

Delta was still trying to comprehend what happened. First there were splicers, then these two show up and apparently they were looking for him. And then the old man mentioned something about a Big Sister dragging his body away? He was sure Grace would properly tell him what she had seen once he saw her. He thought back to that moment when he could have killed her, after all the trouble she had put him through. He could not, however. She had been lied to and manipulated by the terrible Sofia Lamb.

She did not know the truth. She was a good woman, and while he would not go so far as to say she was innocent - since everyone in Rapture lost their innocence a long time ago - she was as close to it as one could possibly get. Not to mention she had previously taken care of Eleanor and still loved her. After all, that was why she had turned her forces and energies against him. Sofia had lied to her about his intentions - he did not want to harm Eleanor or anyone else, he wanted to protect her. He _had _to protect her.

Grace had also misunderstood what had happened. She thought he was to blame for kidnapping Eleanor and forcing her into her despicable service as a Little Sister. He finally showed her though that he was as much a victim of the Rapture system as she was. He helped to open her eyes to the truth. And as the saying goes, the 'truth will set you free.'

He was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he failed to notice that they had arrived. He barely squeezed through the barricade, which had already been widen slightly prior to their arrival since Tyrell sent August ahead to inform them of the situation.

Delta remembered the many fights he had here in Pauper's Drop. He looked around and saw that some of the damages he had wrought were still very much visible. He noticed the people there looked at him with restrained anger and measured caution. Some of their friends and family died by his hand and he felt somewhat sad about that, but it had to be done. Getting to and protecting Eleanor was his primary goal at the time, and all else was secondary.

His thoughts then turned to his... daughter. Not biologically, at least, but she might as well be. They were bonded together after all. He knew she was far away since he could no longer sense her through their bond, and he was curious to know why the effects of their current separation were not hurting him as it had before. Perhaps his second death had something to do with that. He would have to look into the matter later.

"Well hello again, Tin Man. I am... glad to see you," the voice of Grace Holloway broke his train of thought.

He lowered his head slightly and gave a warm grunt in greeting. Well, as warm a grunt could get anyway. He cursed the fact that his vocal cords were messed up. He longed to be able to articulate himself better than moaning, groaning, and roaring.

"You look rather worse for wear," she eyed him up and down, inspecting him closely. "I can have your suit patched up and repaired if you want. The least I could do after seeing our savior come back from the dead."

He gave a nod of his head and a short, garbled moan. Savior? He was amused at the thought. First he was the defiler, the enemy, and now he was the savior. Oh how quickly things can change.

"Good. Now are you able to take off the suit...?" she trailed off as she looked up into his glowing porthole.

He shook his head. Well, to be completely honest he was not entirely sure but he did not want to risk it yet. He at least knew he could take off his helmet, but other than that he was unsure if he could take off the suit completely. The risk was too great, and he still wanted to live. At least long enough to find out if Eleanor was still alive and doing well for herself out in the real world.

Grace looked to be in deep thought, "We'll have to make do then. I have to warn you in advance though, it will probably get a bit uncomfortable."

He gave her a rather loud grunt.

"Sorry," she apologized and smiled sadly, "I guess it's always been uncomfortable for you. But no matter, you're with friends now. While it will take them a while to get used to you and to trust you, in time they will. In time."

She instructed August to bring Delta to one of the rooms down the hall.

Before they left she said to Subject Delta, "Thank you again for what you've done for Eleanor, for me, and for Rapture. I'll have some supper sent to your room later. Get some rest, dear."

Once they were gone, Grace walked over to Tyrell who had stood there silently the whole time. He held the shotgun by the barrel with his left hand, the butt of the big gun resting on the ground. He seemed more tired than usual. She assumed it was a rough trip to the Surfscraper.

"You don't look too good yourself, Ty." She raised her right hand and held it to his cheek and their eyes locked.

Tyrell chuckled at the statement, "Eh, I'll be alright. Been through worse to be honest." Then he dropped his eyes to the ground, "Reminded me of just how old I'm gettin'..."

She pulled him into a tight hug. "You're right about that, you old fart!" she said in jest, then more seriously, "We're not as young as we used to be. But we've got to remain strong for the young ones."

At first Tyrell did not react to the hug, and then he returned it. "Speaking of the youngins, Gus accompanied me."

They separated from the hug but stayed close to each other still.

"I know.. But I wasn't worried. I knew you'd take care of him," she replied, "They told me he just ran right out and they yelled for him to come back. They even tried to run after him, but he's a fast one."

He nodded, "That he is. And a tough one too. I'm not sure if those were his first kills today, 'cause he sure seemed pretty calm about all this, but he did real well." Frowning, he continued, "Sad to see them grow up so fast, but Rapture's gone to hell and normality with it. I just hope we don't have to raise any more generations like this."

-**ooo****o**-

"You've gone mad, woman!" barked Sarge, "It was one thing goin' out and bringin' back a dead Big Daddy. But a _live_ one? Not only that but the one that previously attacked us?" He put a hand on his forehead and massaged it. "Look, Grace. I understand that the Big Daddy spared your life and I'm not entirely sure why. I also know that he protected Eleanor, who you raised as if she was your own, and thus understandably there's a connection between you two. And I know that the Big Daddy came in here peacefully and he ain't caused no trouble... yet." He added the last part after a moment of thought.

"But you have to understand that I find it hard to believe he is anything other than a beast, a savage even. He is a ticking time bomb in my eyes and a danger to the Family," he continued, "You shoulda consulted me first before bringin' him in and welcomin' him with open arms. I _am_ in charge of security 'round here aren't I?"

Grace sighed and nodded her head. "Yes you are, Sarge. And I'm sorry I didn't talk to you about this beforehand, but I had only heard about it a few minutes before they actually got here so I had little time to discuss without being rude to our guest. And he _is _a guest here, please remember that." She walked towards the window and looked out at what was left of the city.

"I thought he was a beast once too. An evil monster even. But I realized that I was wrong. He showed me that he was no beast, but a man... a poor man who has suffered a terrible fate. A lost soul who was trying to survive and make it in this world given what happened to him." She turned back to Sarge, "You know he's an Alpha series Big Daddy. He's not like the rest of the... later models. He has retained his humanity and, at least part, of his sanity. And he's a good man. I trust him. And I know that if we all just gave him a chance, he would show us that he's as much human as you and I."

Sarge gave out a snort, but his demeanor softened slightly. "Okay, okay. I'll give him a chance. _One_ chance. He can stay. But not forever, ya hear me? I want him moving along in the near future. Preferably closer to near than future. I still think it's a bad idea to have him here - if anything he attracts too much trouble."

Grace laughed a little at that and Sarge stiffened and grumbled slightly in response, "Thank you, Sarge, for understanding. I don't think you have to worry about him staying too long. Something tells me he'll be moving on soon enough. And as for trouble... do you honestly believe things could get any worse?"

"Yes. I do." The reply was quick and said without hesitation. "Things can always get worse. That's the one thing that _my _drill instructor taught me at basic training. That's why you gotta work to make sure things don't get any worse and work even more to actually make things better. But, given the circumstances..."

"I doubt anyone else really knows he's alive," she pointed out.

"True, but I still got a bad feeling about all this. Something ain't right..."

Grace wanted to say that he always had a bad feeling about everything, but she held her tongue. "I appreciate your concerns, Sarge. I'll make sure to try to get him out before the end of the week, will that be alright with you?"

A moment or two later he nodded in affirmation. "Yes, ma'am. I'll be heading out now, gotta do some rounds."

The old woman returned her gaze out the window, her mind digesting Sarge's words. He was right about the fact that things can always get worse, but she knew that taking in Delta was the right thing to do. Not only that, but that it was fated to happen. Even though down here they were playing with the tools of creation, Grace still believed in God. She still believed in a higher power and that things are meant to happen to move along a divine plan.

Somehow she knew that this man, Delta, would be very important in the grand scheme of things. Why else would he be brought back from the dead more than once?

* * *

**A/N: **I hope you like it!


	10. Chapter IX

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bioshock.

* * *

**In the Name of the Father**

Chapter IX

* * *

By the time Ata walked down the stairs and into the kitchen, Eleanor was already all packed up and ready to go. She had on a pair of decent-fitting jeans, boots, and a green long-sleeve blouse, with her dark hair tied up into a ponytail. As he walked in she greeted him a good morning. She was eating a sandwich she had found in the refrigerator and did not think Ata would mind. She also did not think he would be awake to see her off.

"I hope you don't mind that I helped myself to a sandwich," she said a little embarrassed.

Ata smiled, though the smile did not quite reach his eyes. "Of course. Help yourself."

They ate in silence until the light outside began to brighten. It was time to head to the docks. Gathering her things, Eleanor followed Ata out as they navigated the mostly empty streets of the town. The docks were a collection of wooden walkways jutting out from the rocky shore next to the town. A little more than a dozen boats were tied up there, some already with men on board prepping for a long day's work out at sea.

Ata told her they were almost all fishermen, save for Nauja and two others who worked as merchants.

Nauja's boat was bigger than the others, almost double in size in fact. He needed the extra space to get as much cargo per trip. She knew that he was also a hunter, but he could not possibly fill the cargo hold with his hunts. There had to be other things. What else he traded in, Eleanor did not know and Ata did not say.

They stopped right by the boat.

He was already there readying the ship with his brother and son. Nauja walked down the plank and onto the dock, stopping in front of them. He was shorter than Eleanor and almost a dwarf even, but stockier with large muscles from all the work he has done lifting heavy crates and other things. His black eyes studied her as he had walked towards them.

Inwardly, Eleanor felt that she could not trust this man. Something about him seemed wrong, or at least her gut told her that, but she quickly passed it off as her old habits kicking in. This was not Rapture anymore. She should be able to trust people, especially if Ata trusted them. The old man had been so nice and was helping her after all. While her gut was usually right in such instances she decided to ignore it and give Nauja a chance.

Nauja embraced Ata and stepped back. "Elder Ata, good to see you," greeted Nauja warmly with a smile that showed pearly white teeth, "And you must be. . ."

"Eleanor. Good to meet you and thank you so much for helping me," said Eleanor quickly and with a smile of her own.

Nauja gave her a nod, "Good to meet you as well, Eleanor. And you are most welcome, we are traveling south anyways so there is no trouble at all." He scratched his balding head. He and Ata exchanged a look that Eleanor did not catch as she looked at the boat she was about to travel on.

"All ready, brother!" a man yelled from the boat. He was leaning against the side railing, a tall man with close-cropped dark brown hair and a thick beard of his own. If it were not for the fact they shared similar facial features she would not have known they were brothers because of their differences in build. She wondered which of them was the older brother.

Nauja turned to them, "Well, let's get a move on then. We want to get there as soon as possible." He bade Ata a goodbye and then boarded, leaving the two on the dock.

Eleanor turned to old man and gave him a hug, surprising him. "Thank you again, Ata."

Ata slowly returned the hug, his eyes looking far out into the distance. "Stay safe and good luck."

She was soon across the plank and on board, taking one last look at the slowly waking town and Ata who watched as they cast off and sailed away.

-**ooo****o**-

The wind was at their back, stretching out the sails. The boat cut through the relatively calm waters of the ocean. Eleanor found herself standing by the starboard side of the ship, leaning against the side and watching the mostly uninhabited coast of Greenland move by slowly in the distance. Ever so often she would turn away from her gazing and look around to see what the others were doing. Usually they were working on the boat in some manner, and of course there was always someone steering, but for the most part once the sails were out in full the others relaxed out on the deck for a bit or went below decks.

A seagull cried overhead, interrupting her thoughts and making her look up as the bird soared right over the boat. She wondered what it was like to fly. To feel the wind rushing towards you as you sailed across the sky, watching as the world moved and lived beneath you. The amount of freedom that a bird had was enviable to her, and she wished she could fly away at that very moment up into the clouds.

Her thoughts turned back to her goal: finding Jack. And she was so very close to doing so. His trail was warmer than she had expected and she hoped her luck would hold in that regard. She hoped he was still in the city. She also hoped he would be willing to help her because that was why she was looking for him in the first place.

"Why are you going to Kuluusiiq?" asked a man who was suddenly beside her.

Startled, she turned and saw that it was Nauja's brother, Maniitok. Mentally chastising herself for letting someone sneak up on her like that she responded, "I am looking for someone."

"Who?" He leaned his tall frame against the railing, gloved hands clasped together in front of him.

"A. . . relative of mine. My uncle. Didn't Nauja tell you. . .?"

He shook his head and scoffed at the question, "Nauja never tells me anything." He turned his head and gazed out at the coast.

"Why not?" asked Eleanor. She found it odd that two brothers who worked together did not talk about such things.

He looked back at Eleanor. "We may be brothers, but when we work he is the boss of this operation and anything about the business is on a need-to-know basis."

"Doesn't that bother you?" she asked, because a situation like that would definitely bother her.

"No," came the quick reply, ". . . it shouldn't." He sighed and shrugged before suddenly walking away.

She watched his retreating form and wondered what the hell that was all about.

-**ooo****o**-

On the second night of their journey, Eleanor could not sleep. Her excitement and anxiety about finding Jack was keeping her brain too busy to shut itself off for the night. So she made her way to the deck, wrapping a blanket around herself to protect against the chilling wind.

She looked to the stern where the bridge was and where Maniitok, whose shift it was to steer the ship, stood at the helm. He waved at her through the glass and she returned the wave.

Then she walked all the way to the bow and then lay down, looking up the clear night sky and admiring the stars in all their shining splendor. She lay there for a while, her thoughts churning, before finally she felt sleep beginning to tug her under so she stood and wearily retreated to her quarters. Plopping down on her bed, she quickly fell asleep.

She was woken up by someone shaking her. Slowly enough she regained consciousness, and wearily looked about.

Nauja's son, Koko stood next to her bed. He was not much younger than her, maybe twelve or thirteen but she was not sure. He was almost her height already, thin but muscled from all the labor-intensive work. She had not really talked to him because he kept so quiet and to himself. Most of the time that she saw him he was busy working on whatever it was that needed doing on the boat. He had the same almost black eyes as his father and the same dark brown hair.

"Father told me to wake you and tell you that we're close to making port at the city," he said meekly and left immediately afterwards.

Eleanor made sure her pack was in order before she ventured out onto the deck. Nauja had the helm while Maniitok and Koko scurried about. About a half mile away was the city, or at least what was considered a city in Greenland. It was about three times bigger than the small village they had come from, which was not saying much. Compared to the cities found in other countries, this was a village, but for Greenlanders this was considered a city.

At least the small port was well-maintained and actually looked impressive enough to pass off as a city port. Vessels of all different sizes were safely tucked away in the port, many of them bigger than the boat they were on.

Not too long a while later they were safely maneuvered into the port and moored and the trio were already beginning to unload crates from the cargo hold. Eleanor retrieved her pack and was back on the deck looking for Nauja. She found him on the dock already, putting some crates down from the trolley he was using to unload them from the boat.

"Welcome to the city of Kuluusiiq, Eleanor," greeted the man with a small smile. "Do you have a place to stay for the night?"

Eleanor shook her head, "I was hoping I would find Jack. . . _uncle_ Jack," she corrected herself, "And stay with him."

"Well, if you do not find him soon enough you are welcome to stay with us. We stay in the rooms above the shop we have here whenever we are in town. It is on the main street, shop called Northern Wares. You can't miss it," he told her.

She thanked him again and then asked for when and where he had last seen Jack.

He scratched his head and looked to concentrate for a moment, "Well, it has been a long time but I saw him in the market once. Perhaps you can start there." Giving her directions on how to get there, he sent her on her way.

She thanked him and headed for the market. Her steps were quick with anticipation and in her mind she hoped that maybe this was her lucky day and she too would see Jack in the market today. As she neared the market, she began to have some misgivings: what if she could not recognize him anymore? what if he was dead? what if nobody knew who she was talking about? But she shook herself of these doubts and steeled herself like she had done a million times before. She needed to be strong. Strong_er_ even.

The city streets were fairly busy with plenty of people going about their day. Lots of noises, smells, and sights assaulted her senses. It was very much different from the little town all the way up north. There was definitely more liveliness to the people here. She liked that.

She reached the market, a large plaza filled with stalls as well as stores in the buildings surrounding it. There were not too many people there, since it was still relatively early. She was thankful it was not too busy, otherwise she might have had trouble trying to talk to someone about finding Jack.

She approached the first stall, an elderly man who looked to be even older than Ata. He was selling a variety of fish that he tried hard to get her to buy. He said it was the best and freshest catch of the day, just brought in by the early morning fishermen. But when asked about Jack he shook his head and said he did not remember or know anything about him.

Eleanor continued on for the next hour or so until she had asked every single one of the merchants in the plaza. None had been the least bit helpful in her search. They did not recognize her description of him or his name. Frustration shook her, but she could not give up. Not after having gotten this far already. Someone there had to know about Jack. She continued, asking the shopkeepers this time.

-**ooo****o**-

The man watched as the young girl made her way through the plaza. He could see the frustration building up in the way she held her body. He stayed a good distance away, pretending to browse through the stalls at the market.

It was bright and warm, the sun beating down on the open plaza. Thankfully many of the stalls had cover and so there was a lot of shade. He adjusted his dark sunglasses since they were a bit loose. Cheap sunglasses, but they did the job.

He walked further down the rows of stalls to try and get a better view of the girl, who had walked into an open shop that faced the plaza. She spoke to the shopkeeper, who looked confused.

He wondered what she wanted. Why he was following her. But that was as far as his thought process went. He did not want to know in truth. Such things were above his pay-grade. A sizable pay-grade that he wanted to keep.

Suddenly a voice crackled in his ear as his comm system came to life.

"Rover Two, this is Rover One. Status report."

He turned slightly and raised his right arm, where a hidden mic was attached to the end of his sleeve. His eyes made a quick sweep of his immediate vicinity. Nobody was paying attention to him. His voice was low when he spoke. Even though in the market nobody would really hear him, it still paid to be careful.

"Rover One, this is Rover Two. Eyes on target. Moving through the plaza, over. Looks like target's done with the stalls and beginning to go into the shops."

There was a moment of silence. "Okay. Continue shadowing target until further notice. Do not lose visual contact. Got it?"

"Roger that. Rover Two, out." Adjusting his tailored suit jacket, he continued to walk between the stalls and pretend to look through the goods being sold. His eyes never left his target.

* * *

**A/N: **Sorry for the delay, but I am busier than expected and currently doing too many things at once.


	11. Chapter X

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bioshock.

* * *

**In the Name of the Father**

Chapter X

* * *

_I'm getting nowhere_... _This is hopeless.. _Eleanor had her head down, feeling defeated as she walked along a side road. A few passersby gave her a quick glance, their eyes flashing curiosity and pity - this young girl seemed down on her luck after all. She was oblivious to her surroundings as she meandered through the streets, her legs moving on their own accord.

No matter who she asked or how many different ways she could describe him, and there were not that many to begin with, nobody could give her the answer she was looking for. It was as if he did not exist.

_But he does exist! _she thought to herself. _I just need to keep looking. There's bound to be someone here who knows about him!_

So engrossed was she in her thoughts that she failed to notice the man who stood directly in her path. She bumped into him, letting out a slight squeal of shock as her eyes widened and she stumbled backwards.

"I'm so sorry! I wasn't paying attention! Please forgive me!" she blurted out, bowing her head down in her embarrassment.

A hand was placed on her shoulder.

"It's okay, dear. No need to apologize. I was standing in your way after all," came the reply in an amused tone.

She nodded and didn't dare to look up at the man's face as she moved to walk past him and hurry along._  
_

"Wait a moment."

She stopped a few steps past the man she had run into.

"There's a reason I was in your way... I heard you were looking for me."

Her eyes widened and she turned around ever so slowly.

-**ooo****o**-

Nauja wiped some sweat off of his forehead. He hated meeting with these people and he hated what they had him do, but he had no choice. His family and the entire village was at stake. These guys did not mess around, and as quickly as he could get this business over and done with the better. Looking around to make sure nobody was paying any particular attention to him, he slipped into an alleyway.

Two men in suits and shades stood guard in front of a door farther down the alley. He approached them with nervous steps.

"I am-" he began to identify himself, but was cut off.

"You are expected." One of the men opened the door and ushered him in.

The room was rather bare save for a few chairs and a table. There was another door across from the one he had entered in from, and for a moment he wondered what was beyond it, but squashed that thought immediately.

_Get in, get out. Get this over with. __No need to get involved_, he thought to himself.

Sitting in one of the chairs was another man in a suit, wearing the usual dark shades. His expression was mostly blank, though there was a certain seriousness in it.

"Sit," the man said. The tone was firm, but neither commanding nor requesting. It was more like a statement. As if he were going to sit anyway and he was merely saying it out loud.

Nauja sat.

"I've done everything that you asked!" he blurted out.

"Indeed you have, and for that we thank you. Your village and your family are safe, and funds have been transferred into your account to compensate you for your trouble," said the man in the suit.

Nauja nodded, "Okay, well then I'll be going now." He stood and turned, heading for the door.

"One last thing," said the man in the suit.

Nauja turned to face him. "What is it, sir?"

"Speak of this to no one. If you do..." he trailed off and gave a slight grin.

Nauja could feel sweat form almost instantly as a strong fear gripped him. "O-of course! N-n-not a w-word!"

"Good bye."

As soon as he was out the door and into the alleyway, he ran. Ran as fast as his short legs could move.

-**ooo****o**-

Delta let out a low growl of pain and anger as the two brothers worked on repairing his suit. "Oreo" and "Milk" they called themselves. Nobody actually knew their real names, nor did they care to. As long as they did their jobs well no questions were asked, not that they would have answered such questions in the first place. Then again, nobody had tried so nobody would know.

In any case, they continued to work on his suit. Grace had been right, it was even more uncomfortable than he was used to. Though part of it was some of the pain caused by what they were doing. Still, it was for the best.

August sat on a stool in the corner, out of the way. He watched the brothers, twins in fact, work in earnest on Delta. Every now and again he'd speak, asking a question to either the twins or Delta.

Delta, of course, couldn't exactly respond appropriately. And the twins were so focused on their work they barely responded. Delta figured the kid was feeling a bit lonely.

"So why exactly are you guys called 'Oreo' and 'Milk'?" August finally asked, unable to prevent himself from blurting it out any longer.

The twins stopped for a moment and shared a look before turning to August.

"It's a long story, kid," said Oreo.

Milk nodded in agreement, "But part of the reason is because while each one is good on its own, having the two together is even better!"

They shared a short laugh before proceeding to work.

Delta snorted at that and August smiled.

It took several hours for the twins to finish working on the suit. Halfway through it August eventually left. The brothers worked tirelessly on the task with barely any breaks to catch their breath. And once they were done, they gave Delta a once over and then smiled as they high-fived each other.

"Good work, brother!"

"And good work to you too!"

Another shared laugh and Delta snorted again, amused.

They unstrapped him from the makeshift 'operating' table that they had placed him on. As he moved onto his feet, he could already feel a lot better. In fact, his body seemed lighter, faster, and even stronger. He looked at them and gave what he thought was a questioning sounding groan.

Oreo and Milk nodded in understanding.

"Well, Mister Delta, we figured that since we're already repairing your suit we might as well add a few modifications that we've been thinking of putting in place," Milk explained.

"Right. We've added better joint-stabilizers and replaced your hydraulics system completely. You should be moving much smoother now. We've also welded on some stronger armor plates on your main body points and woven in some kevlar in the secondary areas, specially made by us. They should hold up better to gunfire and sharp objects," Oreo continued.

Delta let out a delighted roar and patted each of them on the back as softly as he could.

The brothers still were knocked a few paces forward and started coughing, but they smiled anyways.

He let out one last questioning groan, wondering if they'd understand this one.

They looked to each other, a bit confused at first, but then nodded as if they had spoken telepathically.

It was Oreo who answered, "Ah, you must be wondering how we even got around to doing such things as this. Am I right?"

Delta grunted in reply.

Milk grinned, "Well, we used to work in the Ryan Industries engineering division. Specifically, we worked on you Alpha series models before we decided the whole plan on how to use them wasn't exactly... our cup of tea. So we fled and went into hiding for a while, emerging only once everything was pretty much in shambles."

"And that's all you really need to know right now," Oreo finished.

Delta nodded his head and let out a thankful grunt before stomping off.

"Our pleasure, Mister Delta," they said in unison.

-**ooo****o**-

"A-are you J-J-Jack Ryan?!" Eleanor could hardly contain her excitement.

She studied his face. His eyes. His demeanor. His build. Everything. They seemed to match perfectly from the images she could recall, though he did look a little older and worse for wear than when the photos were taken.

He gave her a short nod, "I am." His eyes darted around and then narrowed before he grabbed her arm, "Quickly. Follow me."

She didn't have time to respond as she was taken into a side street and through several alleyways. She could hear voices suddenly yelling from behind them and she wondered what was happening, still too much in shock at having found Jack to say anything as he led her through what seemed like a maze of streets and alleys.

-**ooo****o**-

"You _WHAT?_" yelled the voice into his earpiece, making him cringe as he ran after his target.

"I'm sorry sir," he responded, "He spotted us and ran off with the girl immediately. We had not expected to see him so suddenly."

"Reestablish visual contact, Rover Two. That's an order."

"Understood, sir." He was breathing hard from all the running. They were fast, but he was not about to give up. There were only so many places they could go to after all.

-**ooo****o**-

The room was dimly lit, most of the light coming from the glows of multiple computer and hologram screens. There was the low humming of machinery in the background as well as the chatter of hushed voices as the people in the room spoke. A majority of them speaking into microphones as they worked in their respective computer stations.

In the very middle of the room was a hologram table upon which was displayed a 3D map of the city. Multiple dots, squares, and other shapes were scattered throughout the buildings and even surrounding the city.

Three people stood by the table, all of them looking at it.

"Sir, all local ground assets are in position. No one can get in or out of the city without us knowing about it. Rover units are currently trying to reestablish visual contact," said one of the people standing. A young woman. Mid-30's with short black hair and a mean demeanor. A scar ran from the left end of her mouth up to halfway towards her ear.

"And local law enforcement?" asked the man that she was addressing. A tall, older gentleman with a short graying beard and a full mustache. Thick dark gray eyebrows hung like storm clouds over his very blue eyes.

"They've been told not to interfere." The last of the three spoke this time. A forty-ish year old man slightly shorter than the other and with a still youthful look. He had an eye patch over his right eye.

All of them stood with perfect posture as they spoke.

"Good," said the tall, blue-eyed man. "Status report on Titan Team 2?"

"En route to location. ETA to insertion is," the woman paused to check, "Eight minutes."

"Very good," came the reply as the man folded his hands behind him, deep blue eyes watching the figures on the hologram as they moved about.

-**ooo****o**-

Finally, they stopped and Jack let go of her arm.

Eleanor took it back breathlessly and rubbed it. He had a strong grip that was for sure. Taking a moment to catch her breath, she finally looked about to see where he had taken her.

Light streamed in through tall, beautifully crafted stained glass, illuminating the rows of equally beautifully made wooden pews. A nice red carpet ran down the middle of the church from the main doors they had entered on towards the altar.

Jack was already standing by the altar. He looked up at the figure of Jesus on the cross that hung suspended over the altar before turning and looking at Eleanor, who was still admiring the church.

"Come on, Eleanor. We don't have much time," he urged her.

She walked towards him. "Where are we going? What's happening?"

"You were being followed, as I suspected. But I wasn't sure until I actually saw them."

"Me? Being followed?" she could not understand it, "Why? By who?"

"Now is not the time to explain this."

Eleanor crossed her arms, "Look, Mister Ryan-"

"Jack," he quickly said. "Call me Jack."

"Okay. Jack," she said, "I'm not entirely sure... I can trust you."

Jack sighed in frustration, "Really? You're going to do this now? After I said we don't have much time?"

Eleanor said nothing, her arms still crossed as she looked at him expectantly.

Jack sighed again and then gave in, raising his hands to signal his defeat. "Okay, okay. I'll give you the short version for now. My emergence from Rapture has sparked the interest of a very... well connected and resourceful organization. They contacted me originally offering help if only I'd join them - I of course knew what they were really after and declined. Ever since then they've been trying to get at me."

"If they're so resourceful and well connected, how have they not captured you already?"

"Well... I've always been several steps ahead of them. And I'm very good at fighting after all - they did manage to get me a few times but only for several minutes really. It's been years since they've dared show themselves around here."

"And why did you and them appear now then?" she asked, her arms still crossed.

"Well, I can't speak for them since I thought they had already given up on getting at me, but I showed up here because of you. Like I said, I heard that you were looking for me so I decided to see who you were. I've been watching you since you left the market area and from observing you I could tell you were from Rapture."

"How?"

"Look, kid. We're not playing twenty questions here. Every second we waste brings them closer to us, and trust me when I say these guys don't mess around," he growled.

Eleanor uncrossed her arms, satisfied for now. "Fine. Where were we going to go? This looks like a dead en-"

She didn't finish her sentence as every single stained glass window exploded inwards, showering them with shards of glass and the front doors were simultaneously broken open.

* * *

**A/N: **Slowly and steadily, I am going to finish this story! I promise!


	12. Chapter XI

**In the Name of the Father**

Chapter XI

* * *

There were eight stained glass windows in the church, and all of them were broken into by fully-equipped soldiers dressed in all black. At the same time, four soldiers had busted through the front doors, splintered wood flying everywhere and meeting with shards of glass all over the interior of the church. It was hard to believe only a few seconds ago the place had been beautiful and pristine.

Each soldier had a machine gun in their hands, fingers on the trigger and sights pointed on the two figures by the altar.

"FREEZE!" yelled one of the soldiers.

"DON'T MOVE!"

"WE _WILL_ FIRE IF YOU MOVE!"

Eleanor gulped and looked around surprised while Jack simply frowned.

"HANDS IN THE AIR!"

Jack whispered to Eleanor, "Keep walking backwards til your back hits the altar... then on my signal, jump behind it. Got it?"

She nodded.

"Good. Now raise your hands and make it look like you're complying..."

They both slowly raised their hands as the young girl walked back and found herself right next to Jack, their backs touching the altar slightly.

One of the soldiers spoke into a radio in his helmet, "We have the target. Target is secure, over."

Jack's face twitched up slightly into a grin. _Oh, you think you have us eh? _He looked at Eleanor and then said, "Now!"

They moved quickly and were soon safely behind the altar as the soldiers suddenly opened fire. Gunshots echoed throughout the church as bullets ricocheted off the stone altar. Dust was kicked up into the air and stray bullets hit the walls and other furniture in the area.

Eleanor looked at Jack, who expected to see fearful eyes. He saw a slight fear in her, but for the most part he saw a coldness and calmness there that he did not expect to see from someone so young in a situation such as this one. He became even more curious about her than he was originally.

"When they stop to reload, I want you to run through that door!" he yelled as he pointed towards a side door next to the altar. "I'll follow after you!"

She nodded but didn't say anything, getting onto her feet and crouching low, ready to sprint.

Sure enough, all the gunfire stopped as they all started to reload. A few precious seconds of silence and peace were all that they needed. As soon as there was quiet, Eleanor ran and burst through the door, almost breaking it off its hinges thanks to her increased strength and speed.

Jack, on the other hand, stood up and concentrated on his plasmid abilities as his left hand was suddenly engulfed in ice, icicles beginning to stick out from his skin as it turned a pale blue. The soldiers looked at him with a mixture of fear and confusion.

"What the hell?!" one of the soldiers closest to him said in disbelief.

Jack grinned darkly, "You don't know why you're being told to capture me now do you?"

-**ooo****o**-

Eleanor ran to the back of the church and found herself at a dead end. She wondered where she was supposed to go and decided to backtrack, but then Jack appeared as she was going to leave.

"Good, you're alright," he said as he walked across the room and to the opposite wall. He seemed to study the stones for a moment in a deep thought before pressing on one with a finger. The stone slid inwards and the sounds of clicking and grinding gears could be heard. A crack echoed around the room and part of the wall moved inwards. A hidden passage.

Eleanor gave him a curious look and he shrugged, pushing the hidden stone door open.

"I'll explain later. We need to go." He motioned for her to go first.

She hesitated then walked into the hidden passage, closely followed by Jack who made sure to shut the door. The locks clicked and clanked back into place, plunging them into darkness.

-**ooo****o**-

"Sir, receiving no further response from the Rover squad," reported one of the officers sitting at a console, a look of distress on his face.

The tall gentleman gave a nod to acknowledge that and the man returned to working on his console. He gave a look to the woman, who was busy with a datapad in her hands.

She looked up and said, "Titan Team 2 has been deployed."

The other man who stood by the hologram desk looked at the map with renewed interest, muttering, "This should be fun."

-**ooo****o**-

Eleanor's eyes adjusted almost immediately. There was a very dim glimmer of light somewhere off in the distance, and it was enough for her eyes to see even though it was practically pitch black. One of the very useful augmentations that had been done to her.

Jack, on the other hand, could not see much so he focused on his plasmid abilities again. Flames erupted from his left hand, illuminating the area around them.

Eleanor blinked, her eyes adjusting to the sudden increase in light, and turned to Jack. "Where does this go?"

"This passageway leads to an old mine shaft. We can use it to get to the other side of the mountain and away from the city," he explained as he started walking.

Eleanor followed after him, "Is this how you've managed to sneak in and out of the city without them noticing?"

"Yep, that's pretty much it. My home is several miles from here, built into a cave."

"A cave?"

"It prevents any satellite imagery from picking it up, not to mention the cave entrance is hidden as well for even more added privacy and protection." He wondered what his daughters would think of him getting involved with _those_ guys again. He also hoped that the reverend would forgive him for bringing such destruction upon his church. Even though Rev. Andrews knew the risks, he still allowed Jack to use the hidden passage and his church as a safe haven. Jack made a note to definitely help him repair the place.

He stopped in his tracks. _Shit_, he thought, _the reverend might be in big trouble if I don't go back and help him. He wasn't in the church after all, so he's probably out somewhere... but when he comes back... and that place is crawling with soldiers... _

"What is it, Jack?" she asked, concerned.

"I have to go back. I forgot something," he said vaguely. _Or someone, rather..._

"Okay, well I'll go with you then."

"No," he shook his head, "You should keep going."

"In the dark? I can barely see." Which wasn't actually true, but she wanted to help him. It had hit her that she had run away from a fight when she was so obviously capable of defending not only herself but Jack as well. In fact, she was far stronger than Jack, not that he knew that of course. She would show him though.

He scratched his head with his non-flaming hand. "Right.."

-**ooo****o**-

"Command, this is Titan Seven. Rover squad has been," he paused, "... frozen."

"Roger th... sorry, come again Titan Seven? Did you say _frozen_?"

"Yes." He gave an irritated sigh. _Did I stutter?_ he wondered, shaking his head. "They are currently incapacitated. We are continuing pursuit of the target. Titan Seven out," he finished.

He looked at the other four Titans with him. Four males and a female. All of them dressed in black nano suits and with serious, unreadable expressions on their faces. The only tell was the excitement he could see playing in their eyes. This was their first official deployment after all, and he felt the excitement of it too.

"Alright, let's move on. Nine and Ten you're paired up. Eight you're with me. Eleven, keep a watch on the door. Spread and search. They can't have gotten far, there is only one way to exit this church after all," he told them as he walked towards the altar, casting a sideways glance at a few of the blocks of ice containing Rover squad.

Eleven stood guard by the doors, his back to them as he watched them go further into the church.

When they went into the back area of the church and disappeared from sight, Eleven looked around a bit impressed at the abilities of their target. They had been briefed on what little was known about the target's powers. He could definitely see why Command would be interested in such a man. Movement behind him caught his attention and he stiffened, hands clenched and ready.

"Oh my..." a voice said behind him, tone filled with shock.

Eleven turned to face the stranger. It was the reverend.

-**ooo****o**-

Jack reopened the hidden door, sliding it open and emerging back into the room where they had been only a few minutes ago. He could hear voices in the hallway and raised his burning left hand, the flames seemingly dancing excitedly. His right hand reached into the jacket he was wearing and pulled out a huge silver .44 Magnum revolver.

"Eleanor," he said quietly, "Get behind me."

Eleanor clenched her fists, but obeyed.

A man stepped through the doorway clad in all black and without hesitation Jack loosed a jet of fire at him. To his and Eleanor's surprise, the man reacted faster than expected and dove out of the way. Another man who had been following behind him, however, did not have as much luck as he did not see the attack coming like the first guy did.

The second man was engulfed in fire and yelped in pain, falling back into the hallway from the impact of the jet of fire.

The first man had gotten to his feet and moving even faster than when he had dove out of the way he was already right on top of Jack, who had brought the revolver up. The gun was knocked out of his hands as the man delivered a swift knee to his abdomen, making him double over. The man's strength was impressive and his speed was faster than normal.

Jack managed to dodge the secondary attack, a punch aimed straight at his face and with his burning left hand he grabbed the assailant. Normally, this would have elicited cries of pain as the flames should have burned through his clothes, heated up his armor, and burned his skin. However, the man seemed to be wearing a new type of combat suit, one that Jack had never seen before.

Even with his improved strength, it seemed to him that their strengths were actually even. And in a fight, the assailant had the upper hand because of his faster speed.

_This isn't good_, he thought as several blows landed on him and he stumbled backwards.

It was then that a figure flew at the attacker.

Jack's eyes widened when he realized who it was. "Eleanor!" he said with alarm.

But the young girl not only held her own, she was beating the man. The assailant kicked out at her, but Eleanor reacted swiftly by grabbing the leg and stopping the man's motion. And then with what seemed to be only a fraction of effort, she picked him up and launched him into the stone wall. She did so with such force that the thud echoed around the room and a few cracks appeared on the wall as fractions of stone fell to the ground.

The assailant staggered to his feet, but did not get a chance to recover his bearings before Eleanor sidekicked him in the chest.

There was a very audible "oof!" from the man as he slammed into the stone wall again, sliding down to the ground, still conscious. Though only barely.

Jack couldn't help but watch, impressed at what he was seeing as Eleanor walked over to the man. Without a thought she grabbed his head and slammed her knee into his face, making even Jack wince from the sight. The assailant fell unconscious on the ground, blood pooling and several facial bones definitely broken.

There was no time for Jack to say anything then as three more of the assailants waltzed into the room. Their gaze drifted first to their fallen comrade and then to the girl who stood over him and then to Jack.

Loosing another jet of fire at them, Jack began to focus more on the fighting. He would talk to Eleanor later about what he had just seen. Right now what mattered was that there would be a chance to talk later at all. He concentrated on his plasmidw, focusing his energy into becoming faster and stronger since his elemental attacks didn't seem to have any effect on the assailants because of their suits.

Two of them went after Jack while the woman faced Eleanor.

"Come now, child. There's no need to fight, I don't want to harm you," said the woman, her stance shifting as she readied to attack.

Eleanor smirked, "Harm me? I doubt it."

"Why you insolent..."

She lunged forward, and Eleanor was actually surprised at her speed, but she still managed to move out of the way. She dodged and blocked the woman's attacks, most of the time only barely managing to do so. This woman was really good. Even better than the other attacker she had beaten. Still, she knew she could win this fight, so she began to counter-attack.

Jack was not faring as well. He had numerous bruises and scrapes all over. His nose was broken and bleeding. And his left shoulder was aching painfully, but he had managed to take out the guy who he had hit earlier with his fire blast. The last guy he was fighting was so much stronger however. He had to be the leader of this squad.

"I was told to bring you back in one piece, but I don't think they'd mind if I brought you back a little... broken," said the man as he launched a series of attacks.

Jack was pushed to his limit trying to defend, and even then a few blows managed to land on him. Suddenly, a ripping pain tore through his side and he cried out, staggering off to the side and grasping at the nearest wall for support.

The man chuckled, "You're not as strong as they said you would be." He played with the sharp combat knife that had suddenly appeared in his hands.

"Fuck you!" he said as he concentrated on his plasmids and sent a shockwave of air towards the man using his Sonic Boom plasmid. This caught him by surprise as he found himself thrown off his feet and slammed into the wall. He hissed in pain but controlled his fall, landing in a crouch and rolling before returning to his feet. He grabbed at his right shoulder and winced at the pain.

Eleanor saw Jack get slashed in the ribs with a knife and her mind went into overdrive. Her powers slowly increased within her. She was a bit bruised and bloodied herself, but nowhere near as bad as Jack was.

"Time to end this," said the woman, a sharp blade erupting from the top of each of her gloves. They essentially turned her arms into swords. Instead of punches landing roughly, she would be sharply puncturing with the blade over her hands.

_Katars, _she thought as her mind quickly remembered the name of the weapon merely from looking at it.

The woman launched a combination of attacks and Eleanor moved to the side in the nick of time, one of the katars coming within an inch of her face.

* * *

**A/N: **More chapters are coming right up!


	13. Chapter XII

**In the Name of the Father**

Chapter XII

* * *

Several hundred miles away, and a few thousand feet below the surface of the ocean, Dr. Tenenbaum was logged on at a computer terminal in one of the maintenance outposts. It had been a few days since any splicers had come through the Atlantic Express Depot where she and the remaining Little Sisters were currently staying. Because of the relative peace and quiet, she ventured farther out than she normally would have.

Though the calmness was of course not the main reason she had gone so far out of her way to make it to a maintenance outpost. Aside from the dangers that the splicers posed, the biggest threat in her eyes was the fact that Rapture was falling apart. And she did not mean it in the figurative sense.

Buildings were collapsing as the pressure of the ocean that surrounded them coupled with the structural damages sustained from all the fighting meant that soon everything would be rubble. Tenenbaum had no desire to still be in Rapture when that happened. There were three problems that she had to solve, however.

One, she needed to determine how much time she had to escape before Rapture collapsed completely.

Two, she needed to find a path and means to escape.

Three, she needed to know if there were any other survivors out there who she could help out. From what she had seen so far, she knew that there were still those who had kept their sanity. There were still some people there who could and should be saved. But where were they and how many she did not know.

At the maintenance outpost's computer terminal, she figured she should be able to at least find an answer or at least a path to an answer to the first two problems.

Her hands flying across the terminal pressing a multitude of keys and navigating through the system, she managed to have the system run a diagnostic and integrity test. Soon enough, the results appeared across the screen.

"This is not good," she whispered as she read the system report.

-**ooo****o**-

"What is going on here?" demanded reverend Andrews.

"Hello, reverend. Please return home, we are currently dealing with terrorist activity. There is no need to involve yourself. This is a government operation." Eleven smiled pleasantly at him. The old man was no threat to him after all, and he did not like involving civilians. Particularly members of the clergy.

The sight was strange to behold, a man clad in some strange black armored suit smiling at a reverend in the doorway to a church where a battle had recently taken place. And sounded like it was still, as sounds of fighting echoed from the rear of the church.

The reverend's eyes looked past the man who stood in his way and saw soldiers frozen in blocks of ice. Shattered stained glass, splintered wood, and other debris littered the floor. It looked like a war zone.

"Son, I know what this is about. The only terrorists here are you," said the reverend firmly.

Eleven raised an eyebrow, impressed and somewhat surprised at the reverend's courage. "Be that as it may, reverend. This is no place for a holy man. Please leave now. I do not want to hurt you."

"Son, may God have mercy on your soul," the reverend said slowly as he lifted his robes to reveal a 12-gauge shotgun, which he aimed straight at Eleven. It had already been pumped.

BOOM.

-**ooo****o**-

"My Lord, Titans Nine, Ten, and Eleven are down. Seven and Eight are still engaging the target. What are your orders, sir?" said the woman, a tinge of worry in her tone that was picked up immediately by the man she was addressing.

Scratching his beard, the tall Lord unclasped his hands from behind his back and placed them on the edge of the table as he leaned forward. His eyes scrutinized the hologram.

"Sir? Orders?" repeated the woman.

He gave a short grunt of annoyance. She was ambitious and effective, but sometimes she was a little too pushy.

"Colonel, deploy the Recovery Team. Tell Seven and Eight to disengage for medivac. Prepare Team One for deployment." His eyes never left the hologram table as the people around him started to scramble about.

The man who stood to his left gave a contemplative sigh.

"Care to share your thoughts, Major?" asked the tall Lord.

The Major looked up at him. "Well, my Lord, it seems we underestimated the target quite a bit. At least Team One will be sent in next time. My only worry is that we may not have another chance - he is very good at hiding after all. He's eluded us for many years now."

A smile danced on the Lord's lips. "It's all part of the game, Major. And the game has only just begun."

-**ooo****o**-

Seven was readying to attack again when his radio came to life with new orders. He cursed under his breath, but then quickly ducked and rolled to the side as gunshots rang out, echoing loudly in the small stone room. Jack had found his gun.

Seven turned to look at Eight, who had been distracted by the radio call. Eleanor took this opportunity to dropkick her, sending her flying across the room and forcing Seven to jump out of the way again and roll out into the hallway. He heard the young girl yell in triumph and clenched his fist in anger as he saw Eight slide to the floor unconscious, blood streaming from her head.

He could not reengage alone. As strong as he was, he knew that two on one would mean his demise. At least given the orders he received he would not be punished for disengaging as he would have had the order not come through. Still, it pained him to leave the battle. Especially since most of his teammates were hurt. He turned and ran to the main hall to get Eleven.

He stopped in his tracks by the altar when he noticed Eleven lying on the ground, his armor damaged and blood pooling around him. Next to him was a man wearing black robes. The reverend was sitting, back against the end of a pew, blood coming out of his nose and mouth. A shotgun lay across his lap. He seemed close to death. Seven shook his head in disbelief. Team Two had lost.

Hearing footsteps behind him, he dashed for one of the windows and leapt out into the street. Running off, he looked over his shoulder and said with conviction, "This isn't over."

-**ooo****o**-

Jack and Eleanor rushed out to the main hall of the church. The soldiers were still frozen there, water pooling underneath them as the ice was melting quickly. Not that they were really a problem. They looked at one another.

"Who the hell were those guys?" asked the young girl.

Jack frowned, "I don't know. I've never seen them before." It troubled him that they were stronger and faster than any other operatives he had faced from the organization. He wondered how many of them there were. Had they been facing more, he feared they would have been done for.

"And you kicked some serious ass back there," Jack said, his tone telling her that he was looking for an explanation.

She looked away, "It's a long story."

"Alright. You can tell me later then."

"So what are we doing now? Waiting for the reverend? How do you even know he's co-" she was saying but a weak voice called out to them. Or more specifically, to Jack.

"Reverend!" Jack cried out, wincing as he moved towards the injured man.

He was breathing heavily, wheezing with every breath. His eyes were barely open and his robes were bloodied and torn. "Jaaack..." whispered the reverend, coughing up some blood.

"Hey, hang in there reverend. You'll... you'll be fine. We'll get you to the hospital." He knew that wasn't true. The reverend was as good as dead already and they all knew it. "I'm sorry about this. I shouldn't have gotten you involved."

He smiled, though it turned into a grimace as a fresh wave of pain engulfed him. "Not... fault..."

Eleanor looked on fully aware that neither of them could do anything to save the holy man.

With one last breath, the reverend's eyes locked onto Jack's and he spoke his final words. "God bless you..." His voice faded and his eyes turned lifeless. Gone was his ragged breathing, replaced only by stillness and silence.

Jack Ryan, a man who had endured so much in his life, could not help but lower his head and shed a tear for his friend.

-**ooo****o**-

They were back in the tunnels that wound deep inside the mountain. For a long stretch the only light source were the flames coming from Jack's left hand. Strapped across his back was a newly acquired item: the reverend's 12-gauge shotgun. He had taken it to serve both as a reminder of the man of god and as another weapon he might be able to use. It was practically brand new after all and would have been a waste to leave behind.

Jack smiled sadly, knowing that Rev. Andrews would have definitely wanted him to take the weapon given the circumstances. Pushing thoughts of his friend away for now though, he focused on the task at hand. His gaze drifted over to the teenage girl who walked beside him, her body illuminated with an orange glow from the flames. She seemed to be preoccupied with her thoughts.

He had seen her fight and been thoroughly impressed. In fact, he figured that if they were to battle all out he would lose, and he considered himself to be particularly strong.

As if sensing his gaze, her eyes shifted over to him. She cocked her head to one side. "What is it, Jack?"

He looked forward for a moment before looking back at her. "So who are you really, Eleanor? Why have you come looking for me?" he kept talking, not yet giving her a chance to answer, "To be honest I was a bit worried that someone from Rapture had surfaced to come and find me. I thought it might be to kill me... you're not here to kill me are you?" His tone was even.

She shook her head and smiled a little, though it never quite reached her eyes. "No, no! I am _definitely_ not here to kill you. I came here to ask for help... to... start a new life. On the surface." She started to feel a whole host of emotions beginning to wash over her. Thoughts she had not paid much attention because of her being preoccupied for the last thirty or so hours.

Jack could tell she was feeling uncomfortable. Sad, even. "You don't have to tell me now..."

Again she shook her head, raven black hair swaying wildly about. "I might as well tell you now. We have time, right?"

He nodded.

Sighing, she opened her mouth but then closed it as she gathered her thoughts. She started explaining what happened once Jack left Rapture, her story continuing on for the entire time that they moved through the tunnels and finishing as they rounded the corner and saw a bright light at the end of the tunnel.

To say Jack was at a loss for words would be an understatement. He had no idea that his actions had caused so much suffering for the innocent, that so much had changed and yet also remained the same in the fallen city under the dark ocean. While he did feel a pang of guilt for that, he was still happy that he had gotten away from that deep-water hell. He was also glad that he, along with Brigid Tenenbaum's help, had been able to save a few Little Sisters.

Looking at her, he cannot fathom her being a Big Sister. His own daughters, the Little Sisters he had taken with him to the surface, would have turned into Big Sisters too had they stayed in Rapture. He thanked his lucky stars that this did not happen. In fact he did not know what he would have done if he had not had his girls there with him. They had been his port in the storm, the lighthouse that guided him home safely through the hurricane.

When things were not particularly going well and when challenges befell him, it was for them that he willed himself to succeed. All for them.

And while Eleanor was definitely not as innocent as the little girls he had raised, he could see himself taking care of her and treating her like one of his own. He wondered how the other girls would react to her.

_They'd probably welcome her with open arms, showering her with love and affection, _he mused. It was true though. They were a very caring lot and he had raised them well.

"I wish I could've done something more to help," he said honestly, "Don't get me wrong, I do not for one second regret leaving Rapture. But perhaps I could have done more things and some things differently while I was there that might have made things easier for those left behind."

Eleanor looked at him with a critical eye. He seemed sincere enough, and he had fought to protect not only her but her friend, the reverend. He had been injured pretty badly during the fight, but had shrugged it off as nothing more than a nuisance, which both impressed her and made her wonder how much of it was for show and how much of it was him being the tough hero that she had heard so much about.

"You don't have to worry, Eleanor," said Jack as their eyes met, "I'll help you." He decided that he wanted to. She sought him out for help after all, and as a Big Sister she was basically related to his adopted daughters anyways.

"I... Th-thank you, Jack." That was all she managed to say, relief flooding her.

How could he turn her away? Especially now that she was involved in this whole mess that he was in. Thinking of earlier made him scowl darkly, and Eleanor caught the look. She was about to ask him about it but they were already beginning to exit the tunnels as the grade began to increase, the tunnel ascending higher. The light was very bright now, a stark contrast to the heavy darkness within the mine.

Jack extinguished the flames around his hand and kept his revolver handy in case someone lay in wait for them. Both their eyes adjusting quickly, their thought processes were similar as they scanned the surrounding area immediately for any signs of enemies.

There were none.

"I thought they may have figured out where we went," stated Eleanor simply.

Jack looked at her. "I thought so too. But the mine isn't actually supposed to be connected to the Church. At least not officially, so they may not be aware of it." He took another look around the area, seeing only rocks, dirt, and some brush. "I think we may have also given them pause due to our last encounter."

"Something tells me they won't be as easy to beat the next time," she said.

Jack gave a short laugh and looked at her again. "You thought that was easy?"

"It was not _easy _easy... but also not too difficult." She motioned with her hand, "Shall we continue?"

"Let's."

-**ooo****o**-

"Status report. Satellite pick them up yet?" asked the blue-eyed Lord, slightly impatient.

The Major shook her head, "No lock on them yet on the satellites, but we're looking, sir. Titan Team Two has been evacuated to receive immediate medical attention and debriefing. They should be ready to go in 52 hours. As for Team One, they have been activated are currently en route as we speak."

"Unacceptable, Colonel. I wanted them found _five _minutes ago," the man expressed his displeasure, but then his tone changed as he regained control of himself. "I will handle the debriefing personally. Major, come with me." With that he turned on his heel and began to walk to the doors.

"As you command, my Lord." The Colonel said to his retreating form as she watched the tall, commanding figure leave the room with his cape billowing after him, the Major in tow.

* * *

**A/N: **The upcoming chapters will have more focus on the Rapture part of the story. I hope you're still reading!


	14. Chapter XIII

******A/N: **The events of Minerva's Den (which I have not played) are not going to be followed in this story. Everything in that arc, including Subject Sigma, will not be used. Sorry, but that's the way I had already planned the story.**  
**

**In the Name of the Father**

Chapter XIII

* * *

Delta wandered beyond the barricades, passing by the people on watch who eyed him warily as he lumbered by, and started walking along one of the main glass tube tunnels that connected the buildings of Rapture. He was for the most part looking out through the glass, observing every detail that his eyes ran across. The schools of different fish, the sharks, the groups of jellyfish, the plethora of plant life, and of course the grand city itself.

Even in its ruins it was still a sight to behold. A marvel of human engineering, production, and of course vision. That thought gave Delta pause as he stopped walking, staring out the thick, reinforced glass. He had not had time before to think on so deeply and serious a matter as this, but recently he has had a lot of free time. Time spent not fighting for the survival of himself and anyone else who he cared about.

After all that he had been through, with no memory of his previous life before becoming Subject Delta, was he still human? He did not know the answer, and try as he might he could not find one. He had been under the influence of the bond before, but because that bond was now severed or at least seriously weakened he was no longer driven to uphold rules that were brainwashed and spliced into him. He actually had free will, unlike the other Big Daddies that he had encountered throughout his experiences in the sunken city.

The fact that he was even contemplating this at all made him think that he was human, but the things he had done and the way he was currently living could not help but make him think of himself as a monster as well.

Footsteps echoed along the tunnel, stirring him from his thoughts. He tensed, readying to fight as he whirled around to see who was approaching.

"What are you doing all the way out here, big man?" asked Tyrell with a grin. His right arm was in a sling.

Delta grunted a greeting, relaxing as he realized he was in no danger. He pointed to the man's injured arm.

"Oh this? It's nothing really. Just hurt my shoulder a bit using that shotgun," he said, still grinning, "I'm getting a little too old to use the big guns. I think I'll try and stick with pistols next time." He patted the pistol that was strapped to his hip with his free hand.

Delta let out a moan of sympathy and gave a nod before looking back out through the glass. They were both silent for a while, Tyrell turning to look out the glass too as he tried to see what the Big Daddy was looking at.

"Hard to imagine this place was once a paradise, huh?" Tyrell broke the silence, chuckling. "We all came here, thinking we could escape all the bad things about living in the world above. Thinking that here we could live and thrive in peace." His gaze drifted to each building in sight, most of them completely dark and obviously run down. "It was a great dream, for sure... but reality sure as hell came around and woke us up."

Delta grunted.

Tyrell smiled sadly. "I can't imagine how difficult it is not to be able to speak. Is there... is there no way to fix that?"

Delta turned to him and shook his big, helmeted head. As far as he knew, he would stay this way forever. His vocal cords were practically destroyed and would require extensive surgery to repair, if they even _could _be repaired. With conditions the way they were, the chances of finding a doctor and equipment to even have the option of conducting the surgery were close to zero.

"Pity. I have a feeling I'd enjoy having a true conversation with you."

Delta felt the same way.

-**ooo****o**-

Tenenbaum leaned back in the chair she was sitting in, her eyes still glued to the screen. According to the systems report, the ability of Rapture to sustain life was decreasing at an alarming rate. The way things were looking, she needed to find a way to the surface as soon as possible or else she and the girls would perish.

As time marches on, machinery and computers decline and without proper maintenance and repair they begin to fail. All the damage that the chaos and violence that consumed Rapture produced did not help matters as it hastened the decline of vital systems. With the way things were looking, all systems were expected to fail within three weeks, maybe if they were lucky it could stretch out to four. Either way, the survivors on Rapture were running out of time.

She began to search for any remaining lifeboats, whether functioning or not, starting with areas closest to her current location. Even if they were not working, she might have enough time to get it fixed up and running. The important thing at the moment was to have options to choose from. She also tried accessing any functioning security cameras or sensors so that she may try to find any other survivors.

Not everyone in Rapture was a splicer or was dead after all, and while her priority was to get the Little Sisters away from Rapture and to safety she also felt compelled to try and help anyone else that may still be alive. She could not fetch them herself, but she could at least try to inform them of what was going on and what she was up to so that they may try to come along.

The maintenance outpost that she was in was located in a rather secluded area. A single maintenance shaft led to the outpost, and since this area had been cleared of splicers it was relatively quiet and safe. So when she started to hear noises echoing from the shaft, she felt a spike of fear and nervousness. All natural reactions of course, but her training and experiences allowed her to control her emotions.

Keeping as calm as she could she tried to finish her work as quickly as possible as the sounds were getting progressively louder. Something was definitely heading this way. And as the seconds ticked by, she became more acutely aware of the weight of the pistol strapped to her hip.

-**ooo****o**-

Delta and Tyrell returned to the The Sinclair Deluxe, where the survivors under Grace's leadership were residing. It was a little run-down, but far better than many of the other buildings elsewhere since it was being used and thus repaired and maintained in some aspects. Again the appearance of Delta made those on watch duty clutch their guns tightly and eye him with suspicion, though they thankfully did nothing rash.

"Well, I'm going to go check on Grace-y. She hasn't been feeling well lately," said Tyrell as he considered the Big Daddy for a moment before waving and walking away.

Now that he was back inside, Delta was unsure of what to do so he decided to pay a visit to the engineer brothers, Oreo and Milk. They were in a back room on the first floor and it took him only a minute to reach the place where they had worked on his suit. They both looked up as he came in and greeted him with a smile and a quick laugh.

Delta waved at them, letting out what light sounds he could in greeting.

They seemed to be working on some kind of metallic, boxy contraption, which was currently placed on a worn wooden table in the middle of the room. Their spotlight lamps pointed directly at it to provide proper illumination. Delta pointed to it and looked at both of them.

The brothers shared a look and smiled, looking back at Delta.

"This thing? Why, it's a small generator we're working on," said Oreo.

Milk nodded, "Yup. In case the power decides to give out on us. We made it a while back but it wasn't complete..."

"... until some new parts were recently found. We're almost done with it. All we really need to do now is to charge it," finished Oreo.

It was at this point that Delta noticed that there seemed to be a hand crank on one side of it. Again, he pointed and looked at them for an answer.

Milk touched the handle of the crank, "This is a back-up charging system. Manually cranking it to power the generator." He grinned, "We just added it actually."

Oreo looked thoughtful, "Maybe you can give it a try later when we're done? It's a bit tough to use and... my brother and I aren't exactly the strongest."

Delta nodded and let out a groan of acknowledgement. At least he hoped it sounded like one.

"Alright!" the brothers said in unison, high-fiving each other. "Thanks a lot, Delta!"

They continued to work on the generator, their tools scattered around the table. It was fascinating to watch as they worked together on it, each one aware of what the other was doing so that they did not interfere with each other. After a while, Delta left them to their work and they called out to him as he was leaving saying that they would contact him as soon as they were finished so that he could try the hand crank.

As he walked out into the atrium he headed for the stairs, but stopped as August came running down them. He spotted Delta and, a little out of breath, told him that Grace was calling for him. It was apparently urgent.

Up in Grace's apartment, Delta followed August inside and noted that Grace and Tyrell were there. The muscular, older man called Sarge was also present and the look of suspicion and disdain that he gave the Alpha series did not escape notice.

"I called you all up here because I've received some dire news," said Grace as she looked at each and every one of them. Even August. "One of our scavengers recently came running back and told us that a big band of splicers are headed this way."

Sarge put his head down a little and crossed his arms. Tyrell seemed to be unaffected, probably having heard the news already, though he too looked deep in thought. August gasped a little and Delta remained silent, though he clenched his hands into fists.

"They seemed to be taking their time, but there is no doubt that they will be coming through here soon. That said, we're going to be in for a heck of a fight if the numbers I heard were correct," she said gravely.

"How many, Grace?" asked Sarge, a bit more subdued than usual.

"At least thirty. Maybe up to fifty splicers."

That was not good news. While Delta had faced perhaps up to ten at a time, he had never fought against an entire mob like that. He had never experienced that many splicers to have banded together without a leader, and he wondered if they did have one. Thinking similarly, Sarge again spoke up.

"That's... a lot. Are you sure about this? I've never heard of that many splicers grouped up before... do they have a leader or something?"

Grace looked at him. "I am sure. I trust this person's word. As for a leader," she shrugged, "We don't know. It's possible."

August asked something that nobody in the room immediately answered. "Can we beat that many splicers?" The fear in his voice was evident, though he tried to keep a brave face. Everyone could see that he was slightly shaking - having experienced what a handful of splicers could do when he helped Tyrell to find Delta it was scary to even think about what thirty to fifty splicers in one group could do.

Delta finally made some noise. He slammed a fist into an open palm and growled, the sudden movement and noise making everyone jump as he interrupted the silence that had befallen their little meeting. Much to everyone's surprise, Sarge grinned at that and chuckled a little.

"The tin can is right," he glanced at Delta for a second before he gave a serious look to August, "We'll beat 'em. We'll make 'em wish they never bothered us, you'll see."

Grace gave a small smile. "Okay, well Sarge you know what you need to do. I put you in charge of the defense." The ex-military man nodded and then left to go set up their defensive strategy as Grace turned to Delta. "And you Tin Man, I thank you for helping us. Ty, if you could show him to the armory?"

"Sure thing, Gracey," said Tyrell as he started to walk, "Come on big man, let's get you some more weapons. We're going to need your help, _big time_, I think."

"Can I come too?" asked August, still slightly shaken from the news.

Tyrell stopped at the door and looked to Grace, who gave a slow nod. He looked to the young boy and grinned, "Of course. After all, we've fought before."

Delta followed the man and the young boy out of the apartment and down the stairs. His heavy footsteps thudding and echoing throughout the place. As they headed for the armory, he could not shake this sinking feeling that things were not going to turn out too well. Up to fifty splicers was a ridiculous amount of enemies to fight. Even for him.

Still, for the majority of his experience at Rapture he had fought alone so it was not unusual for him to think that way. Now that he was fighting with a group, he wondered if this might not be as daunting a fight as he thought. He would no longer be fighting alone. He only hoped that his newfound allies were skilled enough to fight that many splicers in one fight.

* * *

**A/N: **You didn't think I've given up on this story, have you? I'll see this through to the end! There's so much more of this story to tell...


	15. Chapter XIV

**In the Name of the Father**

Chapter XIV

* * *

Eleanor and Jack followed the winding valley that they had exited out into from the mine, the sky clear and the sun nearing the horizon by the time they decided to stop and rest. They had covered considerable ground, but had a little ways to go still before they reached their destination.

"Where are we going again?" asked Eleanor as she sat down on a small boulder with a relatively flat surface.

"My home," Jack told her simply as he cast his gaze about to check if anyone else was around. "I built a home in a hidden cave in the mountains where the girls and I could live, undisturbed. Not too far from a city so that we could get supplies but far enough that no one would be able to find us unless they knew where to look."

"You built it yourself?" she asked, impressed.

He laughed, relaxing slightly as he sat down on the ground next to another boulder and leaned his back against it. "It definitely helps when you've been genetically altered to be stronger and faster than the average human. Though admittedly carving rock was far harder than I thought."

Eleanor could not help but feel a touch of awe and respect for this man. Here was someone who worked hard to provide and care for children that were truthfully not his own, and yet whom he considered to be his own. He was willing to risk his life to protect them and to go through hardship in order to make their lives better. It reminded her of her own father, or at least her 'fake' one. She felt a hollow in her chest and a strong desire to weep, but she fought hard against that urge.

Thinking of the past though made her remember the sins she had committed. She had not explained to Jack the circumstances of her escape from Rapture, and she was not sure if she ever could tell him the truth. Sacrificing those Little Sisters to get to the surface was something she definitely regretted now in hindsight, but regret could not bring them back from their deaths.

She stared at her hands, clean and bloodless now, but back in rapture they were as filthy and blood-covered as the worst of them. As a Big Sister, she had been an efficient killing machine and a rage monster at times whose violence knew no bounds. What bothered her about the sacrificing of the Little Sisters was that she had done so consciously, without succumbing to the blood lust and battle rage that often consumed her when she fought. Not only that, but when she actually fought her enemies she was justified in ending their lives. With the girls though she had used them merely as tools, classifying them as objects rather than the human beings that they were, tainted and twisted though they may have been by the ADAM in their bodies.

At the time, she felt it was justified to sacrifice the Little Sisters in order to save herself and her father, Delta. Survival was her top priority and the only way in her mind to save herself and her father was to use the Little Sisters. What her father did upon reaching the surface, however, made her realize that perhaps that was not the case. Perhaps that was not the right course of action. But if that was so, then what was the right thing to do in that situation? She did not know anymore.

How she wished that her father were there to answer such a heavy question. She could only interpret his actions to a certain degree, so she was unsure if that was what he meant in the end when he threw himself overboard. She shook her head, trying to focus on the task at hand: getting to Jack's home. She needed to be strong, and now was not the time to cry and reminisce about the past.

"We should get going," Eleanor said, much to Jack's surprise, as she got to her feet. There was a growing sense of urgency within her, like there was this sixth sense that was telling her that their pursuers were getting close.

Jack looked up at the sky, noting the rapidly decreasing light of the day as the sun began to set out to the west. In the valley, the light was markedly darker as the sunlight was already blocked by the rocky crags of the mountains. Glancing sideways at Eleanor, he stood up and brushed some dirt off of him. "Okay, since you're feeling up to it already... If we move quickly enough, we should get there by night fall."

-**ooo****o**-

The whine of the jet engines began to die down as the private jet came to a complete stop in the middle of the large hangar. A convoy of black, unmarked cars idled nearby, waiting with several soldiers in all-black military gear and armed to the teeth standing next to them.

The door of the jet opened, first outward before swinging downward. A staircase was built into the inside of the door, the edge of which soon touched the ground. Two figures stepped out then, one rather tall figure with an expensive-looking cape over his equally expensive-looking old-style military suit, and a shorter figure in military officer garb. The taller of the two took the lead, walking straight towards the idling convoy with long purposeful strides.

Standing at attention as the two figures from the plane approached, the soldiers around the convoy saluted and then got into their cars. Four men in suits stood by a black limo in the middle of the convoy, and one of them opened the passenger door to let the two in. Two of the men in suits got in the driver's seat and the front passenger seat while the other two got into a black unmarked SUV right behind the limo.

They sped off, the whole transition taking only three minutes since the plane came to a complete stop.

The tall man took a flat, rectangular object that seemed to be mostly glass out of his pocket. A second later, the glass started to emit images; it was a cellphone. A very high tech one, and with a few flicks of a thumb the face of a woman appeared on the screen.

"Report," said the tall man.

The woman seemed to confer with someone off-camera before looking back into it. "Still no sign of them, my Lord. We're trying."

"Try harder." He was not impressed. In fact, he was slightly irritated.

"Of course, sire."

"And Team One?"

She again conferred with someone or something off-camera. "They're currently in a holding pattern over the city, sire. As soon as we get wind of them we'll send them in, as you've ordered."

"Remind them that I want Jack _alive_."

"What about the girl?"

The man paused at that question, unsure of something for a rare moment. That fact gnawed at him terribly. He did not like not knowing something, particularly when it impacted decision-making. He looked into his phone in as expressionless a face he could muster. "I'll get back to you on that. Now get me some results, Colonel."

She saluted and then the video transmission disconnected, turning the screen blank.

He pocketed the cellphone, the ride continuing on in silence for a while as the convoy drove through the barren wasteland. It was a bumpy ride, considering the fact that the harsh conditions damaged the roads stronger and more often this was not unexpected. The two occupants of the limousine were silent for a time, then the officer decided to break that silence.

"Sir, may I... speak freely?" he asked with a little hesitation.

The nobleman steadied his gaze upon the officer, two gold oak leaves, one on each of his shoulder patches, indicating that he held the rank of Major. He gave the briefest of nods to convey his assent.

Gathering his thoughts, the major spoke his mind on the situation. "Well sir... is it... Is it truly worth the effort, the expenditure of resources as well as time, to chase after this Jack Ryan? Our research teams have already discovered the processes with which we can produce the super soldiers you require. The Titan Teams are but the beginning, and they have shown great promise." He stopped for a moment, before continuing on with revealing his opinion. "I simply think that if we concentrated more of our resources and efforts on building up our forces rather than chasing after this single man who has eluded us for years now, we would have no need of any advancements and information that acquiring Jack Ryan may bring."

The man he was addressing adjusted his expensive coat idly, turning his gaze away from the officer to look outside through the thick, tinted window of the passenger door. When he spoke, it was with an even and serious tone.

"I appreciate your sharing of your opinion on the matter, major," he began, "However, you do not know the extent of our operations as you are confined within your division of the greater whole, a greater whole that I oversee." This was simply a statement of fact, a fact that the major had missed when assessing the merits of this part of the plan.

The nobleman continued to watch the rocky and icy wastes pass by as he spoke further. "That said, your estimation of the value of Jack is far too low. Yes, our science divisions have managed to innovate, manufacture, and implement amazing technologies that have given us cutting edge weaponry and personnel. However, while the Titan Teams are a step in the right direction, they are not enough."

He looked back at the major with a steel gaze. "Jack Ryan has proven himself to be a most powerful individual, capable of single-handedly besting at the very least Titan Team Two, who are far above even elite soldiers. The Titans... they are the products of enhancements that have boosted their physical capabilities, as well as some of their mental thresholds. _However_, Jack Ryan has these same physical enhancements as well as something they do not, something that Andrew Ryan discovered in his paradise under the sea and that I want: the power of the supernatural. Do you understand?"

"You mean... like when he froze the Rover squad?" asked the major.

The nobleman nodded, smiling. "Precisely. You were not with the organization when we first got word of Jack Ryan's existence, and of his unique talents. I lost a lot of resources trying to apprehend him, so much so that it required me to reassess my strategy and change some of my plans. He showed me that even with all the resources and power I had, there was still something greater. That greatness... that power, is what I seek. With it, my plans can finally continue at a greater pace than originally intended."

The major looked out through the window across from him as he sat in one of the length-wise seats to the side, with the leader of his organization sitting in the width-wise rear seat and facing towards the front. "I'll make sure we get him, sir."

The noble chuckled at that statement. "Of course," he said as he closed his eyes to rest them, his body moving around slightly as the limo sped through the wastes of Greenland. "It's only a matter of time."

-**ooo****o**-

Picking their way up the side of the rocky and uneven mountainside, Jack and his young charge managed to make it up to a sizable flat piece of rock that jutted out from the side of the mountain. He smiled as he then recognized the sight of his home: a fissure that ran vertically up the face of a cliff. They had arrived, and just in time too as the valley turned dark and the conditions worsened; a storm was coming in.

"Is this it?" asked Eleanor, eyeing the fissure.

He stepped towards it. "Yep. About ten feet into the fissure is my front door," he informed her.

They entered the darkness of the fissure, the crack in the rock wide enough to have fit at least four people across. Inside, the break in the rock twisted into a tight turn, and the faintest glow of light could be seen coming from around the bend. Turning the corner, the two weary people came face to face with a wall of thick logs stacked on top of each other. A single door was built into it, made of solid wood and crafted very finely. A lone lamp hung beside the doorway.

Reaching out, Jack pressed a button that was built into the door frame between the door and the lamp. A faint buzzing sound could be heard coming from inside. He pressed it two more times, pausing, and then pressed it again.

Eleanor looked at him curiously, tilting her head. "You have electricity?"

He nodded. "Mostly from solar panels I managed to... appropriate from some unsavory sources," he explained, "But there are also two generators that we sometimes use when the solar panels aren't enough, which happens more often than I'd like."

She appeared to have some more questions, but was interrupted when the clicking sound of the locks being undone echoed in the small cave entrance.

The door swung open.

* * *

**A/N: **Apologies for this being so short, but I wanted to post something and remind you all that this story WILL be finished! Thanks for your patience and I hope you continue to enjoy reading this as much as I enjoy writing it. :)


	16. Chapter XV

**In the Name of the Father**

Chapter XV

* * *

"Daddy! Welcome home!" exclaimed a teenage girl who looked to be no older than Eleanor, her dark red hair falling in curls to her shoulders. Vibrant emerald eyes expressed joy in seeing her father again. She then realized that her father was not alone as her gaze drifted to the brown-haired girl with skin so pale it was evident she had not seen the sun for some time.

"Good to be home, Morgan." He motioned towards his younger companion, who was beginning to receive a curious look from the redhead, "Morgan, this is Eleanor. Eleanor, this is my daughter Morgan."

"Hi," said Eleanor with a small wave. clasping her hands together in front of her.

Morgan gave her a smile. "Nice to meet you, Eleanor." Turning to her father, she asked, "Is she...?"

He gave her a nod. "Let's talk inside."

She then stepped aside to allow them to walk through, shutting and securing the door once they were in.

Eleanor was surprised that the air inside wasn't as damp and musty as she thought it might be considering that this was essentially a man-made cave, though she figured Jack was smart enough to make sure there was adequate ventilation and filtration in his self-made cave of a home.

The tunnel twisted again, this time turning to face the center of the mountain. Thick electrical wires ran along the walls, connecting each of the lights anchored to the rock at even intervals. As they rounded the turn, the tunnel opened up into a decently large space that served as their living room. It was furnished with couches, chairs, some side tables, and a big rectangular coffee table. A nice, soft rug sprawled underneath the furniture in a large circle that filled the center of the room where most of the furniture lay.

Board games lay on the surface of the dark coffee table, playing cards strewn about. Anchored to the rough stone walls and spaced evenly all around the room were industrial white lights of steel and glass, a steel cover making it so that the light shone onto and off of the wall so as not to blind the occupants of the room. A bookshelf sat off to one side, and surprisingly it was full of books, mostly educational ones from what Eleanor could see. She had a feeling the girls were home-schooled.

Jack asked, "Where are your sisters, Morgan?"

Her response was impressively quick, "Eliana is in the kitchen cooking supper; we're having some fresh fish tonight! Jamie is in her room lost in her books, as per usual. Vivian is taking a nap. And Kateri is outside playing with Max, she should be back soon."

Jack frowned, not liking the thought of one of his daughter's being outside at a time like this. Making a quick decision, he said, "Morgan, can you show Eleanor around and introduce her to everybody? I'm going to go get Kateri."

The redhead gave him a questioning look. "I said she'd be back soon. Is there something wrong?"

Jack and Eleanor shared a look as the man sighed, settling his gaze back on his daughter. "I'll explain when I get back, but it's dangerous to be out and about right now. And there's a storm coming. We're going to need to lock down for a while."

This time it was Morgan who frowned as her father walked back to the entrance, his steps quick and purposeful.

"Is Max another sister?" asked Eleanor.

Morgan laughed, shaking her head. "Nope! Max is our pet husky!"

"A what?" Eleanor gave her a quizzical look. "What is a husky?"

"It's a breed of dog, silly," Morgan said with a giggle, "Well, let's go ahead and meet the rest of the family."

Leading Eleanor down another short hallway that branched out into three different directions at an intersection, she began to give her a tour of the place.

Morgan explained where each hallway went, "This one on the left goes to the kitchen, the dining room, and the generator room. If you keep going straight you'll end up at the bedrooms and the bathrooms. To the right is dad's study, a big storage area, and our own little pool."

"You have a pool in here?" Eleanor raised an eyebrow, her blue eyes staring down the rightmost hallway.

"Yeah, dad stumbled on a fresh water vein that goes all the way to a spring outside and he built a small pool area. The water's cold and refreshing, but he can heat it up for you too," she replied, "That's also where we get our drinking water. Not from the pool, of course, 'cause that would be gross! But he has a small water collecting system in place from the spring source that gets some of the water before it gets to the pool and eventually trickles out to the outside."

"That's pretty cool. And your dad... he built it all himself right?"

She beamed proudly. "Yep! We offered to help but we were really little back then and couldn't do much. It took him about two weeks of constant work. He barely slept, mostly because he wanted to get it done so we could move in already since before this we lived in a make-shift little hut barely large enough for all of us."

"All this in two weeks? Wow." Eleanor was impressed.

Morgan waved towards to the left hallway. "Come on, I'll introduce you to Eliana."

They made their way to the end of the hallway, where it opened up into a sizable cavern. On the left side of it was a finely-hewned stone table surrounded by old, but sturdy-looking wooden chairs. A big chandelier hung from the high ceiling over the table, illuminating much of the space. Off to the right was the kitchen area, where Eleanor could see on the far side a doorway that led to the pantry and supplies room.

A kitchen island had been carved up as well, and the kitchen surprisingly had marble counter-tops and a full complement of stainless steel kitchen appliances. Working in the kitchen was a girl of the same age as them; she had curly shoulder-length brown hair and matching amber eyes, and she was humming a happy tune to herself as she cooked.

"That smells good, Eliana! How long until supper? I'm getting hungry." remarked Morgan as they moved into the kitchen area, taking in a deep breath to savor the smell.

Eleanor thought it smelled delicious and her stomach grumbled slightly.

Eliana laughed. "About ten minutes, I'd say. I'm hungry too!"

"Knowing you, Ely, you've already sneaked in a few pieces of food. I haven't eaten anything since lunch!" replied Morgan with a smirk.

"Hey! It's not my fault that it's part of the cooking process to taste your food and make sure it's perfect," replied the brunette defensively, turning to her sister and sticking her tongue out. Noticing Eleanor, she looked surprised for a second and then smiled, "Oh, hello there. I didn't know we were having a guest!" She said the last part as she glanced back to her sister inquisitively.

"Eliana - we call her Ely for short - this is Eleanor. Eleanor, meet my sister Ely." Morgan added, "She's a true whiz in the kitchen. We can all cook, but for some reason her food always tastes better. And I mean _always_! It's kind of unfair actually."

Eliana laughed again. "Nice to meet you, Eleanor. I hope you're hungry!"

Eleanor nodded. "Good to meet you too, Ely. And I am a little hungry," she admitted, absently putting a hand to her stomach as it growled again.

"Well. Since dinner is almost ready let's just stick around and observe the master chef at work, and I can introduce you to everyone else when they get here," said Morgan as she sat down on a stool on one side of the kitchen island, motioning towards the one next to her.

"Do you know how to cook?" Eliana asked as she finished preparing supper, her hands never resting for too long in between tasks.

"No, unfortunately." Cooking in Rapture was not exactly a priority skill, nor was it common. Much of the food there was already ready-made and only needed to be heated up, if at all. She found it strange to think that she

"Then we can teach you!" Morgan exclaimed excitedly.

-**ooo****o**-

Everybody who could wield a weapon was asked to fight and help with the defense - even Oreo and Milk had come out with shotguns and more than a few explosives. Given how many hostile splicers were heading towards them, this did not come as a surprise. But Grace's little group consisted of twenty people, of whom only sixteen could fight, so the odds were definitely stacked against them. At least they had some security bots to help, and they whirred overhead waiting to fight like everyone else.

They were all finally settled into their defensive positions, with Sarge going around one last time to make sure everybody was ready. He was not one for speeches or pep talks, so the lobby was silent for the most part, the constant background noises of Rapture interrupted every now and then by some murmurings between the people gathered and the whirring of the bots.

Delta was situated near the center of the formation, and close to the front. Given his size and strength, he was best utilized as a center-point around which they could fight. Some splicers might be cowered by his presence, which would make it easier for the residents of Pauper's Drop to take them down. Others would try and focus their attention on him, effectively making him akin to bait.

He was fine with that. In fact, he had wanted to be even closer to the front, but the bottleneck at the opening that they had created was more efficiently used if everyone could fire at the opening without worrying over possibly hitting their Big Daddy ally.

Not that it really mattered. The number of splicers they were facing meant that eventually a good number of them will get through the opening and into the main lobby. Even though he had killed way more than fifty splicers already, never before had he fought that many in one battle.

Sarge walked over to him, eyeing him critically. "You ready to kill some splicers, tin can?" he asked as he adjusted the machine gun he had resting on his shoulder, his right hand holding it up by the handle.

Delta grunted, taking his massive drill and making it spin for a second.

Sarge grinned. "You better not die -"

Suddenly, an explosion from the tunnels shook the building, interrupting Sarge and causing his grin to vanish. That was a warning trap that was triggered - an explosive booby trap to let them know when the enemy was nearby. He brought his machine gun down, gripping it with both hands as he jogged to his firing position on the front right flank.

"Here they come!" he yelled.

Sure enough, the angry sounds of splicers could be heard coming from just outside the main entrance of the Sinclair Deluxe.

-**ooo****o**-

Tenenbaum wasn't finished just yet, but sitting at the computer terminal was no longer an option as the clanking sounds of multiple footsteps and the scraping of dragging metal drew ever closer. Looking around, she caught sight of a spot in between some large pipes where she wouldn't be seen so easily. Rushing over to it and hunkering down in the shadows of the pipes close to the entrance, she pulled out her pistol and waited. From her hiding place she could see, only barely, the entrance to the maintenance room.

A few seconds later and three splicers walked into the room. Two Thugs, one with a lead pipe and another with a two-by-four, and one Leadhead who was holding a machine gun.

"There's no one here," the Leadhead said with disappointment and irritation, turning to the Thug with the lead pipe. "You said there would be prey here."

"I could've sworn... I could've sworn I saw someone come in here..." said the Thug with the pipe as the trio came to a halt just inside the door to the maintenance room.

"There's no other way out of here. We would have seen someone leaving," said the other Thug, tapping the end of his two-by-four on the steel floor.

The Leadhead growled, "I _so _wanted to kill someone too... Maybe I'll just kill you instead."

The Thug lifted his pipe. "I'm gonna kill you if you try anything!"

Tenenbaum held her breath, hoping that they would leave, or that they would fight and kill each other. She felt like she could take them on, but it would be difficult and risky at such close quarters with little room to maneuver. Plus there were three of them, and one of them had a machine gun. Not great odds for someone with no armor and only a pistol and some psychic ability.

"Waste of time! What a waste of time. We could've found other prey by now." The Leadhead was angry as he turned around, not going through with his threat.

Tenenbaum was about to sigh with relief when the pipe-wielder noticed that the computer terminal was active.

"Wait!" he yelled and walked over to the terminal, eyes squinting. "Is this supposed to be on like this?"

"Hell if I know," replied the other Thug who had waited behind, swinging the two-by-four in the air absently.

The Leadhead did not return, and as far as Tenenbaum could tell the splicer continued walking away from the maintenance office. That made her feel more confident in escaping the maintenance office alive. She could take on two Thug splicers easily enough, though the Leadhead might come back at the sounds of fighting.

Thankfully though, the Thug who was studying the computer terminal simply shook his head and turned around, oblivious to the woman hiding so close to him. Dragging his pipe behind him, the Thug left with his partner, both of them complaining about their lack of killing.

-**ooo****o**-

Jack shivered from a gust of cold wind, noting that the temperature had already dropped several degrees since arriving at his home. His eyes scanned the surrounding mountainside. Given how dark it had become it was difficult to see well, but there was a slim chance that his daughter Kateri and their dog Max were playing within eyesight of their home. She was nowhere to be found.

Where the hell had his daughter gone to? She must have noticed the approaching storm front by now and should be heading back already.

He spent another five minutes trying to scrutinize the landscape, searching for movement among the gray rocks with a growing concern. A flash of lightning illuminated the valley and was accompanied by a booming clap of thunder, echoing with a rumble between the tall mountains.

She couldn't have gone too far. Racking his brain, he tried to remember all the places nearby that she could have gone off to. His feet began to move as the realization dawned on him. There was a cave system about a mile further up the valley with a series of pools and caverns that were safe and secluded enough for the girls to hang out and play in away from home.

The only problem that Jack had discovered was that the caves flooded rather quickly during a major storm.

Lightning flashed overhead as the clouds threatened to unleash their watery baggage. It took another minute before they finally let loose, a wall of rain coming down hard across the valley as the wind whipped around with increasing ferocity. It took only a few seconds for him to be completely soaked, and he had to constantly wipe his eyes clear of water so that he could see properly.

Arriving at the mouth of the cave system, he noted the torrents of water already flooding into the opening from the outside.

"Kateri..." he yelled his daughter's name with worry as he entered the dark caves to look for her. Maybe she could hear him and call out so that he could find her quicker.

Weakly, he heard the echoing of a voice responding and his heart rate doubled.

His legs could not move fast enough.

* * *

**A/N: **Let the writing of this story commence once again!


End file.
